Eerie Black And White Photographs That Show London Fog Scenes From The Early 20th Century

Fog at Ludgate Circus, London. November 1922

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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 haunting black and white photos of London fog from between 1910s to 1950s.

A scene at Woodford, where city workers were informed that fog may delay their journeys to work. 17th January 1927

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Strollers feed the swans near Tower Bridge, London. October 1928

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A lamp lighter relighting a gas lamp in the fog on November 17, 1930.

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A foggy day in Lincoln’s Inn, London. 1932

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An AA (Automobile Association) patrolman directs a motorcyclist who has lost his way. 19th November 1932

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The Cunard luxury liner Aquitania at Southampton in Hampshire. December 1935

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A night scene in central London with an advertisement for the play “Wanted for Murder”. 1936

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Two police officers patrol the misty streets of London in a new loudspeaker van, providing tips on road safety to drivers and pedestrians. 22nd September 1936

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A rail worker fixing a fog warning notice at South Woodford Railway Station in Essex. 20th October 1938

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A woman leads a car through London’s Regent’s Park with a torch, during the thick fog with visibility reduced to a few yards. 25th October 1938

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The Houses of Parliament, London, engulfed in fog. 21st January 1939

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Alfred Smith, one of the country’s 1,830,000 unemployed people, who draws two pounds, seven shillings and sixpence a week in unemployment benefit. 1939

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A policeman on traffic duty on a foggy day in Fleet Street, London. 1952

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A London bus makes its way along Fleet Street in heavy smog, December 1952.

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A street scene in Edinburgh with a misty view of the castle in the background. 30th January 1954

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Heavy smog in Piccadilly Circus, London, December 1952.

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A man guiding a London bus through thick fog with a flaming torch. 1952

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