London was covered in “fog” at the beginning of the 20th century, culminating in the Great Smog in 1952. The Clean Air Act was implemented in 1956, but the fatalities from the Great Smog are said to have reached 12,000. Here’s a collection of 24 haunting black and white photos of London fog from between 1910s to 1950s.
1 November 1922: Ludgate Circus. (Topical Press Agency / Getty Images) |
1 July 1907: St Pancras Railway Station. (Topical Press Agency / Getty Images) |
1 October 1919: An iceman delivers in the fog. (Topical Press Agency / Getty Images) |
1 November 1927: Trafalgar Square, in the daytime. (Fox Photos / Getty Images) |
24 January 1934: Lincoln’s Inn Fields. (Fred Morley/Fox Photos / Getty Images) |
17 October 1935: Finsbury Park. (E. Dean/Topical Press Agency / Getty Images) |
23 December 1935: Temple. (Arthur Tanner/Fox Photos / Getty Images) |
January 1936: Central London. (Lacey/General Photographic Agency / Getty Images) |
25 December 1937: Whitehall. (Fred Morley/Fox Photos / Getty Images) |
25 October 1938: Hyde Park Corner. (Fox Photos / Getty Images) |
25 October 1938: Regent’s Park. (William Vanderson/Keystone / Getty Images) |
26 October 1938: The sun comes through at the Pool of London. (H. F. Davis/Topical Press Agency / Getty Images) |
January 1947: The Tower of London. (Fox Photos / Getty Images) |
1 December 1948: National Gallery, Trafalgar Square. (Photo by Warburton/Topical Press Agency / Getty Images) |
Circa 1950: Middle Temple, Inns of Court. (Keystone/Hulton Archive / Getty Images) |
1952: Fleet Street. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images) |
5 December 1952: Blackfriars, in the morning. (Don Price/Fox Photos / Getty Images) |
5 December 1952: Blackfriars, mid-morning. (Monty Fresco/Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive / Getty Images) |
6 December 1952: Fleet Street. (Edward Miller/Keystone/Hulton Archive / Getty Images) |
6 December 1952: Piccadilly Circus. (Central Press/Hulton Archive / Getty Images) |
9 December 1952: A bus conductor walks in front of his vehicle. (Keystone/Hulton Archive / Getty Images) |
14 January 1955: Westminster Bridge. (Topical Press Agency / Getty Images) |
20 December 1956: Piccadilly Circus. (Stone/Fox Photos / Getty Images) |
29January 1959: Liverpool St. Station. (Edward Miller/Keystone/Hulton Archive / Getty Images) |