Bert Hardy, born in London, worked his way up from a lab assistant to become a photographer. His talent flourished as a staff photographer on Picture Post, joining the illustrated magazine during the Second World War. As well as traveling with the armed forces, his images of the Blitz are amongst the finest and closest to the action taken.
Below is a selection of 22 stunning pictures from Hardy’s private collection. “Stored for decades at his home, these rare black and white photos were kept as keepsakes from his legendary career and are now on display for the very first time.”
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Piccadilly, 1953 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Pool of London 1949 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Piccadilly, 1953 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Sugar Ray Robinson, 1951 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Life of an East End Parson, 1940 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Is There a Colour Bar, Cable St, London, 1949 |
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Firefighters, London, 1941 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Teacher and pupils, 1956 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Ken Joy breaks the London to Brighton cycling record, 1949 |
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Life of an East End, London, Parson, Nov 23rd, 1940 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Royal Wedding, King George VI with the bride, Princess Elizabeth, 1947 |
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Cockney Life at Elephant and Castle, London, January 9th 1949 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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The Pool of London, 1949 |
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London, 1949 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Teenagers at the dance, 1957 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Elephant & Castle, 1949, My Goodness Guinness |
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A woman waves her handkerchief goodbye at the station in 'Wartime Terminus, Paddington Station', 1942 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Men and women sit on the steps of a fountain at Picadilly Circus, London, 1953 |
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Is there a British Colour Bar? 1949 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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The Truth about Teenagers, The ones who live only for Tonight, 1957 |
Stunning Black and White Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London During the 1940s and 1950s
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Grand Hotel. The Imperial, Torquay, 1947 |
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Wartime Terminus, Paddington Station, 1942 |