In the 1950s, Britain was recovering from the ravages of World War II. The devastation of the war could be seen everywhere, especially in London. Prosperity was returning and reaching to the middle-class and, to a large extent, the working-class across Britain. Unemployment in the country averaged only two percent. Manufacturing industries, oil and chemical refining, and science-based industries like electronics and engineering were growing rapidly. A large influx of Immigrants from Commonwealth nations mostly from the Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent began arriving in a steady flow. mall neighborhood shops were increasingly replaced by chain stores and shopping centers. Cars and Televisions were becoming a significant part of British life.
These stunning Kodachrome photos by Hardwicke Knight will take you back to 1950s Britain. He was a photographer, historian, and collector from London.
