Incredible Colorized Photographs Reveal How London Once Looked

London as you've never seen it before

There are many hues that make London the city it is: from the pastel yellows and violets that appear over the Thames at sunset, to the grey of smog and the vibrant red of buses. In a stunning new book, Colours of London, acclaimed author Peter Ackroyd tells the story behind the hues of this beguiling metropolis. Paired with Ackroyd’s words are fascinating colourised images from Dynamichrome, which bring to life historic scenes. Here, we’ve selected our 10 favourite photographs from the book.

1890s: Regent Street

A major shopping street that slices through London’s West End, Regent Street looks just as bustling in the 1890s as it would today. Except instead of modern shoppers it’s filled with men in top hats, women in long, Victorian dresses and people traveling by horse and cart.

1900: Buckingham Palace

The King’s official residence and a top tourist attraction, Buckingham Palace has occupied its spot between Westminster and Green Park since the 18th century. In this shot from more than 120 years ago it looks strikingly similar to the modern palace, and seemingly still attracted a fair few onlookers.

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1908: London Olympics

1908 marked the first time London hosted the Olympic Games, and competitors included Johnny Hayes, an American long-distance runner who won the marathon event for the US. He’s seen here being triumphantly carried from the finishing line, after completing the race in a time of two hours, 55 minutes and 18 seconds.

1915: Fleet Street

London’s red double-decker buses are a symbol of the city, but they’ve changed a fair bit over the years. Until 1910 they were much smaller and were pulled along by horses, before the larger B-type model in this image became the world’s first mass-produced motorized bus. It’s seen here trundling through Fleet Street in the city center on a rainy day.

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1925: Covent Garden

London in the 1920s was a city of contrasts. There was a widening gap between rich and poor, with more than two million people across the country unemployed by the middle of the decade, while the upper and middle classes prospered. In this vibrant photograph we can see a flurry of businessmen walking through Covent Garden – a very different crowd to the throngs of tourists generally seen there today. 

1934: Wandsworth Gasworks

Gas-powered street lamps like the ones in this photograph were triumphs of Victorian innovation, but by the 1930s most were being replaced by electric models. There are several different varieties on display here at the Wandsworth Gasworks in south London in 1934.

1936: Smithfield Market

Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when groundbreaking historic events occur. We’re sure that these porters at Farringdon’s Smithfield Market long recalled the shock of opening that day’s newspaper to find that King George V, who reigned for almost 26 years, had died on 20 January 1936.

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1940: Cheapside

Fire has played a longstanding part in London’s history, from the Great Fire of 1666 to the mighty blaze that destroyed the Houses of Parliament in 1834. In this shot from 1940, a group of guardsmen wait to be called upon during a fire on Cheapside, near St Paul's. 

1945: Parliament Square

VE Day marks the historic moment that Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender, ending the Second World War in Europe on 7 May 1945. A day later, celebrations broke out throughout the capital, including this joyous-looking procession through Parliament Square. 

1954: Shaftesbury Avenue

Running through the heart of the West End, Shaftesbury Avenue is home to historic theaters, lavish hotels and opulent storefronts. It’s captured in all its glory in this colorized photo from 1954, with enticing bright lights and theater show advertisements gleaming in the background. 

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All images were taken with permission from the book Colours of London by Peter Ackroyd, published by Frances Lincoln and available for $40 on Amazon and at selected bookshops. 

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