I happened across the work of a photographer previously unknown to me. For five years, Frederick Wilfred took photos of everyday life as lived by Londoners. At the same time, I was aged between 5 and 10, and I grew up looking at the same sights he captured on his interesting black and white photos. A trip down Memory Lane for me.
What was then a ‘modern’ and ‘trendy’ coffee bar. Not much like Starbucks, as you can see.
The famous London Dog Rescue centre at Battersea, with the marvellous Art Deco power station behind. Both are still there. The Dog’s Home is housed in a new building now, and the power station has become a retail and apartment complex, housing a visitor centre and exhibitions too.
Children playing around in an old car. At the time, it was rare for a working person to even own a car. Notice that there are no others on the street behind.
A gang of cheeky boys posing for Frederick. They would likely have been ‘playing out’ on the street at the time.
Two boys playing a ‘war game’. Using sticks, and a lot of imagination.
A well-dressed man having his shoes polished by a ‘shoe black’ on a street corner. Shiny shoes mattered back then.
A road sweeper with his cart containing two dustbins. They were seen on every street at that time. The container in the background was for the sweepers to empty their dustbins into, and it would be collected by a lorry at the end of the working day.
This newspaper vendor has a good spot opposite a busy Tube Station. There would be numerous daily papers to sell, as well as two popular evening newspapers too.
This schoolboy is likely helping the local milkman on his round before going to school. Such part-time jobs were prized then.
A butcher proudly standing behind his display of meat. Note the pre-decimal prices in ‘old money’.