33 Fascinating Black and White Photos of London in the Early 1970s

London-based photographer Norman Craig took these fascinating photos that show street scenes of London in the early 1970s.

“I worked in a lot of different buildings in the City from the 1970s to the 1990s. It’s likely I took some snaps in those years. I’ll look through my old negs from time to time to see if there’s anything worth uploading.”

Looking downriver towards Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast, London, March 1972

Looking upriver towards Tate Modern from the Monument, London, March 1972

Monument erected after the Great Fire of London. That's Pudding Lane on the right, where the fire started in 1666, March 1972

Party of Japanese tourists waits for a late coach, London, 1972

A kiss in the rush hour, London, March 1973

Ashdown Oysters, Leadenhall Market, City of London, late evening, March 1973

Before BT Centre, London, March 1973

Cheapside, London, June 1973

Entrance to the Smithfield meat market, London, March 1973

Fashionable couple walking near St Paul’s, London, March 1973

Fixing the kerbs in Farringdon Road, London, March 1973

Fleet Street, London, June 1973

Leadenhall Market, City of London, late evening, March 1973

Leadenhall Market, City of London, late evening, March 1973

Loading the carcasses at the Smithfield meat market, London, March 1973

London Wall, March 1973

Looking for customers at St Martin within Ludgate, Ludgate Hill in the City of London, summer 1973

Lunchtime stroll by the Sir Christopher Wren pub, Paternoster Square, London, April 1973

Lunchtime stroll to check the shops and catch up on the scandal, London, April 1973

Mounted police, presumably City of London, at Ludgate Circus, summer 1973

Office worker enjoying a lunchtime sandwich near St Paul's, London, April 1973

Office worker on Gresham Street, London, March 1973

Potman from the Sir Christopher Wren pub collects beer mugs from the seating near St Paul's, London, April 1973

Racks of rib roasts at the Smithfield meat market, London, March 1973

Routemaster double-decker number 6 bus on Farringdon Road on the way to Kensal Rise, London, March 1973

Russian hats were all the rage, London, 1973

Scene the day after the IRA car bomb in Old Bailey, London, March 1973

Smart couple on High Holborn, London, June 1973

Striding across Ludgate Circus in the spring sunshine, London, April 1973

The remains of pig carcases, in skips ready for disposal, probably to the sausage factory, at the Smithfield meat market, London, March 1973

Wrestling with a tin of peanuts in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral, Paternoster Square, London, April 1973

City messenger on the high walk from the Barbican to Wood Street, London, March 1974

Little bit of gossip on the way to the shops, London, 1974

(Photo © Norman Craig)