Take a look back at the district in the ‘50s through 16 fascinating vintage black-and-white photographs below:
![]() |
| The Barbour Brothers from Blackpool strolling down Shaftesbury Avenue, 1952. (Chris Ware) |
![]() |
| Londoners relaxing during a summer heat wave at St Anne’s Churchyard Gardens, 1952. (Daniel Farson) |
![]() |
| A banjo player entertaining the customers outside the Windmill Theatre, 1953. (Bert Hardy) |
![]() |
| A couple dancing at jazz club the Blue Heaven, 1954. (Charles Hewitt) |
![]() |
| Four women sharing a 9-foot-long baguette, 1955. (Daily Mirror) |
![]() |
| Young men at La Caverne nightclub, 1955. (Joseph McKeown) |
![]() |
| Waiters carrying half bottles of champagne setting off on the annual waiters' race from Soho Square to Greek Street, 1955. (Slim Aarons) |
![]() |
| Young girls greeting each other, 1956. (Thurston Hopkins) |
![]() |
| Two prostitutes leaning out the windows of a brothel, 1956. (Thurston Hopkins) |
![]() |
| People dancing at the Gargoyle Club, 1956. (Thurston Hopkins) |
![]() |
| A man in drag heading a carnival procession down Old Compton Street during the Soho Fair, 1956. (Ron Gerelli) |
![]() |
| Miss Soho waving to the crowds during the annual Soho Fair, 1956. (Mirrorpix) |
![]() |
| Pasta eating contest, 1956. (Jack Garofalo) |
![]() |
| London's youth hanging out on the backstreets, 1956. (Werner Rings) |
![]() |
| A group playing and jiving in the street at a fair, 1957. (Evening Standard) |
![]() |
| Six models giving a preview of the latest in French haute couture, 1958. (Ron Case) |
