London Underground Train Guards at Night in the 1960s

In the 1960s, a late-night journey on London’s Central Line carried with it a sense of quiet reassurance, thanks to the uniformed guard stationed in the last carriage. His presence was steady but unobtrusive, a silent guardian watching over the scattered passengers who rode the Underground after hours. For weary workers finishing long shifts, young revelers heading home from the city, or solitary travelers passing through the dim tunnels, that watchful figure offered a comfort that words rarely expressed. In the stillness between stations, his presence reminded people that they were not entirely alone.

Over time, these guards became woven into the familiar fabric of daily travel. Regular commuters knew the sight of the cap, the uniform, the steady stance—figures as much a part of the experience as the screech of brakes or the sway of the carriages. They were not there to intrude but to embody a sense of order, safety, and humanity within a transport system that could often feel cold and mechanical. In the stretches of darkness beneath the city, their simple duty carried great weight: they were the human element in an otherwise impersonal journey, offering protection through presence alone.

By the 1990s, however, the era of the guards came to an end. Cost-cutting measures, new technology, and shifting priorities led to their removal, leaving automated announcements and CCTV to fill the void. The change was practical, even inevitable in the march of modernization, but it also marked the quiet loss of something intangible. The Underground still ran, the trains still carried Londoners through the night, yet the human reassurance was gone, the figure who stood in the shadows, ensuring safe passage, had vanished into memory, leaving behind only echoes of a time when safety had a face.

(Photos via SQUAREWHEELS.org.uk)

Glamorous Portrait of Lilian Rose Goldstein, a Member of the Forty Elephants

This glamorous portrait is believed to be Lilian Rose Goldstein, the Bobbed-Haired Bandit. Taken in about 1926 and found among one of the Forty Elephants, Ada Johnston’s possessions when she died, it has the stylized look of film actress Louise Brooks, who popularized the bob haircut.

Goldstein was a young, middle class woman from Wembley who acted as the getaway driver for John ‘Ruby Sparks’ a notorious smash-and-grab burglar in the 1920s. She was inventive and it has her idea that he “take bulldog paperclips with him to hold the cuts on his hands and arms together.”

Paul McCartney and Dog Arrow on the Abbey Road Crossing for the “Paul Is Live” Album Cover Photoshoot, 1993

In August 1969, The Beatles gathered outside EMI Studios to walk across the zebra crossing on Abbey Road. Photographer Iain Macmillan was positioned on a stepladder in the middle of the street, equipped with a Hasselblad camera, to capture what would become the iconic cover photograph of their album Abbey Road.

Over time, fans began to spot several supposed “clues” on the album cover fueling the “Paul Is Dead” conspiracy theory, which gained momentum following the release of Abbey Road. Among them were Paul’s barefoot appearance and the license plate of the white Volkswagen Beetle in the background reading “28IF,” interpreted by some to mean Paul would have been 28 if he were still alive.

On July 25, 1993, Paul McCartney and Iain Macmillan were back at Abbey Road to recreate the iconic image for his album Paul Is Live. This time, Paul was wearing shoes and accompanied by Arrow, his Old English sheepdog and the offspring of Martha, the dog he famously owned during the 1960s.

“‘Paul is Live’! Well, that’s why we did the cover on the Abbey Road crossing with my little doggie,” McCartney said. “This rumour had come out; it was an American DJ that had started it. And because I was barefoot in the original Abbey Road crossing picture, which really was because it was a very hot day. And I had arrived wearing sandals and kicked them off for a couple of the shots. And one of the shots we used was me without the sandals. So, you know, in those days people were going, ‘Why has he got bare feet?’ Whereas I would say, ‘It was probably hot and he probably took his sandals off!’ If you’re looking for conspiracies, apparently it was some old mafia thing about being barefooted!”

The 1993 photograph was digitally superimposed over the original 1969 image. Notably, the Beetle’s license plate was altered to read “51 IS,” referencing Paul’s age at the time.

The front cover of the album Paul Is Live.

Excerpted from his shows in Australia, as well as from various cities in the United States, Paul Is Live followed McCartney’s previous live album Tripping the Live Fantastic by only three years. It became his lowest-selling live album, peaking at number 34 in the UK and number 78 in the US.

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Portrait of Florrie Holmes, a Member of the Forty Elephants

Among the seventy known members of London’s most infamous all-female criminal gang, Florrie Holmes stood out as a bold figure in a world where women were rarely seen as outlaws. The Forty Elephants, operating from South London between 1873 and the 1950s, were unlike anything the city’s underworld had seen before, stylish, stealthy, and shockingly effective.

Florrie didn’t start as a thief. She was first the girlfriend of a gangster, but it wasn’t long before she was drawn into the gang’s audacious world of crime. The Forty Elephants became legendary for their expertly coordinated shoplifting raids, especially in London’s high-end West End. Armed with tailor-made clothing lined with hidden pockets and voluminous knickers, they stole everything from jewelry and designer fashions to furs, leather goods, and lingerie – often in plain sight, undetected.

What set the Forty Elephants apart wasn’t just their technique, it was their sisterhood. They ran their own operations, supported each other, and used their illicit gains not just for personal luxury, but to support struggling women in their communities. When they weren’t stealing from the rich, they were throwing lavish parties, indulging in the very opulence society denied them.

In a time when organized crime was ruled by men, Florrie Holmes and her sisters defied every expectation. They were strategists, leaders, and rebels who built an empire from within the shadows, proving that women could run the streets on their own terms. Their legacy lives on as a fascinating, gritty, and empowering chapter in British criminal history.

Goalkeeper Sam Bartram Standing Alone on the Pitch, 1937

On Christmas Day, 1937, Charlton Athletic were playing Chelsea at The Valley (Charlton’s home ground) in London. Partway through the match, a dense fog began to roll in over the pitch. Visibility got worse and worse until players could barely see each other, let alone the ball.

Eventually, the referee decided to abandon the match because the fog made it impossible to continue safely. However, no one managed to inform Sam Bartram, Charlton’s goalkeeper, who was stationed at the far end of the field.

Oblivious to what had happened, Bartram remained alone in his goal, peering into the mist, convinced that play was still going on somewhere beyond the fog. He stood there patiently, occasionally shifting position and waiting for his teammates or opponents to appear.

“I saw less and less players,” Bartram recalled. “I was sure we were dominating the game, but it seemed clear to me that we hadn’t scored because my teammates would have gone back into their defensive positions and I would have seen one of them. There were not even shouts of celebration.”

After about ten minutes, a policeman emerged from the fog and approached him. The officer said something like, “The game’s been stopped! Everyone else has gone back to the dressing rooms!”

Arriving in the locker room, his teammates were surprised to see him running late and jeered when they learned the story. “After a long time, a figure loomed up in the fog and I shouted, ‘What’s happened?’ ‘The game’s been abandoned,’ came the reply. ‘The field’s been empty for ten minutes!’ I walked back to the dressing room, feeling my way, and found my teammates laughing at me.”

Sam Bartram made his debut at the age of 20 for Charlton and played 623 games in 22 years. He retired at the age of 42 as the club’s most capped player and was also part of the team that won the only trophy in their history: the 1947 FA Cup.

Paul and Linda McCartney Crossing the Legendary Abbey Road With Their Pet Pony Jet in 1977

Jet was a Shetland pony owned by the McCartney family and was one of the inspirations for the 1973 Wings hit song “Jet.” These photographs were taken near Abbey Road Studios in London, where The Beatles famously shot their album cover in 1969. The McCartneys were at the studio during this period.

The photos were notably used by their daughter, Mary McCartney, as one of the key images in her 2022 documentary about Abbey Road Studios, If These Walls Could Sing. She has mentioned that the images of her mother, Linda, with the pony on the crossing was a special inspiration for her.

“Jet was our pony for a very long time,” Mary said. “He was named after the song. He was a feisty little pony who we rode and loved. But it all comes back. I mean, that’s a very unusual photo. And I loved the idea that by doing this documentary, I have been able to show the world one of my favorite photographs, which is my mother taking our pony across the zebra crossing to the studio. I just think it shows her character to a T and what a rule-breaker she was.”

Photographs of the Ramones Hanging Out in London in July 1976

The Ramones visited London in July 1976 for their first shows outside the United States, performing a pair of legendary gigs that are often cited as a pivotal moment in the birth of the UK punk rock scene.

The band played two shows in London, supporting the headlining act the Flamin’ Groovies. Their UK debut at the Roundhouse on July 4 and a second show at Dingwalls on July 5. These shows were highly successful, drawing large crowds of up to 3,000 people at the Roundhouse, far more than the typical audience of 150 they were getting in New York City at the time.

The Ramones’ fast, raw, three-chord sound had a massive impact on the nascent British punk scene. Members of many future pioneering British punk bands were in the audience such as The Clash, the Sex Pistols, The Damned, and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. Accounts from the time describe the British bands and fans being inspired to form their own groups after seeing the Ramones, realizing that they could create powerful music with a simple, high-energy approach.

Photos from the visit by the band’s manager and photographer Danny Fields capture the band members, including Joey and Dee Dee, hanging out at the venues and in the streets in London:

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22 Vintage Mugshots of Victorian Child Offenders Jailed for Stealing Items for Christmas Day

These vintage photographs of Victorian child offenders, which originate from Wandsworth Prison, London, were taken from December 1872 to January 1873 when the concept of photography was still relatively new. Most of these child criminals were arrested or brutally punished for stealing small items that would barely warrant a police caution today.

In the 19th century, children were often imprisoned for minor offenses and no distinction was made between criminals of any age, which meant young children were often sent to adult prisons like Oxford Castle Prison. There are even records of a child aged twelve being hanged for petty theft and murder in 1829.

The Victorians were very worried about crime and following the development of the camera, police realized they could use the new technology to capture images of repeat offenders. Just as Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) work today, officers released the photos to warn the public when the criminal was to be released from prison. It was not until the 1908 Children’s Act that changes were made to the way child offenders were punished.

Juvenile courts were introduced and children could no longer be placed in adult prisons or executed for capital crimes – however minors could still be whipped.

Thomas Thompson, 14, was given 21 days hard labor at Wandsworth Prison for stealing one shilling in January 1873.

Thomas Savage, 11, was given 4 days hard labor and 10 strokes of a birch cane at Wandsworth Prison for stealing some iron, in December 1872.

George Davis, 14, was whipped and given three days hard labor at Wandsworth Prison for stealing a pile of books in January 1873.

Thomas Goodstone, 14, was given 14 days hard labor at Wandsworth Prison for stealing 7lbs of pork over the Christmas period in 1872.

George Davis, 14, was whipped and given three days hard labor at Wandsworth Prison for stealing a pile of books in January 1873.

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Dustman Dennis Angel of Notting Hill Wearing a Top Hat to Collect the Rubbish in the Royal Borough of Kensington, 1964

In 1964, Dennis Angel, a dustman from Notting Hill, added an unexpected flourish to his daily rounds in the Royal Borough of Kensington by wearing a top hat on the job. Captured in an iconic photograph by J. Wilds, Angel stood beside his cart in work overalls, crowned with the elegance of formal headwear. The contrast between a refuse collector and a symbol of upper-class refinement drew attention and smiles. It wasn’t a uniform requirement—it was Angel’s personal touch, a subtle blend of humor, pride, and self-expression that transformed an ordinary routine into something memorable.

Notting Hill in the 1960s was a neighborhood in flux, rooted in working-class tradition while evolving into a vibrant mix of cultures and creativity. Angel’s simple act became more than a visual oddity; it made him a local character. Children waved, passersby grinned, and he emerged as a kind of folk hero—an everyday Londoner injecting a hint of theatre into the streets. His top hat lent dignity to a job often overlooked, elevating not only his presence but also the public’s perception of those who quietly kept the city functioning.

The photograph of Dennis Angel endures as more than a quirky snapshot; it conveys a deeper story about individuality, class, and subtle rebellion against societal expectations. In an era of rigid social roles, Angel’s sartorial choice gently subverted norms, showing that self-expression can coexist with everyday work. His image remains a symbol of how quiet confidence, humor, and a touch of elegance can bring grace and charm to even the most routine of occupations.

Fences in London Made From World War II Stretchers Once Used to Carry Thousands of Wounded Civilians in the Blitz

During World War II about 600,000 steel stretchers were manufactured for use in the Blitz. They were used by ARP (Air Raid Precaution) wardens after bombing raids.

After the war many of these stretchers were re-purposed as railings and used in lots of estates in South London. Most people pass them by without a second glace. They are a secret and silent memorial to a tragic past. They also prove that recycling isn’t a new phenomenon!

The stretchers were made from steel so that they could be easily washed down after use and used again when necessary. They had a wire mesh within the frame and two indents either side so that they were raised slightly off the ground if they had to be set down while an injured person was being transported. Most were painted green when used as stretchers, but are black in their recycled life as railings.

Many are in poor condition now (and many have been replaced). In recent years a campaign has begun (led by the Stretcher Railing Society)  to raise awareness of these stretcher railings in the hope that they will be protected and treasured as an important part of London history.

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Mrs. Elizabeth Mary Eagle Skinner, the Leader and Founder of the Mystical Church of the Comforter

The Mystical Church of the Comforter is London’s most curious church. It is situated in a disused waiting-room next to the Booking Office at Denmark Hill station. In this church Mohammedans to the Jewish faith can worship without breaking any of their religious laws. The leader and founder of the church is Mrs. Elizabeth Skinner, whose official title is ‘The Messenger.’

Elizabeth Mary Ann Eagle Skinner (nee Roberts) was born on August 30, 1875 in Bethnal Green, Greater London, England. She married Arthur John Skinner (1867–1953), who was a schoolmaster at Alleyn’s Dulwich. She founded the Church in 1901 and it moved into the disused waiting room next to the ticket office at Denmark Hill around 1920.

The church made heavy use of symbolism. The altar was painted white and surrounded by the seven colors of the rainbow. Seven steps led up to the altar. There were two pillars in the worship space, representing beauty and strength. The badge worn by members was a dove in a circle, holding a seven-leafed branch in its beak.

Mrs Skinner was a tall, commanding-looking woman. Her official title was ‘The Messenger’ but most of the members called her mother. In ceremony, she wore white robes ornamented with mystical signs. Mrs Skinner was said to be a Rosicrucian (or to have connections to inner orders of Rosicrucianism). The signs used in her services corresponded to symbolic systems associated with mystical societies.

Mrs Skinner died on November 24, 1929. She was buried in Camberwell Old Cemetery. Her death was noted in multiple newspapers, which report that many people attended, suggesting she had a devoted following.

In 1976, the Sex Pistols Recreated The Beatles’ Iconic “Please Please Me” Album Cover at EMI House, London

In 1976, the Sex Pistols – the notorious British punk band that helped ignite the punk movement – took inspiration from one of the most iconic images in rock history: The Beatles’ 1963 album cover for Please Please Me.

The original Beatles cover, shot by photographer Angus McBean, featured the Fab Four leaning over the interior balcony of EMI’s London headquarters at 20 Manchester Square, gazing down toward the camera in matching suits and cheerful expressions. It perfectly captured their clean-cut, youthful energy at the dawn of Beatlemania.

Fast forward about 13 years later, and the Sex Pistols’ world couldn’t have been more different. By 1976–77, they embodied rebellion, anti-establishment anger, and a rejection of everything the Beatles’ generation had come to represent. Their manager Malcolm McLaren, ever the provocateur, orchestrated a photoshoot that recreated The Beatles’ Please Please Me cover, but with a sneering punk twist.

The Pistols — Johnny Rotten (John Lydon), Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Sid Vicious (who replaced Glen Matlock) — posed at the same location in Manchester Square, leaning over the same stairwell where the Beatles had once stood. But instead of tidy suits and smiles, they appeared in ripped clothes, sullen faces, and rebellious attitudes.

The original building in Manchester Square in London was demolished in 1999, and EMI took the stair railings to its new headquarters. When it dissolved and merged with Sony in 2012, the entire structure went into the hands of Paul McCartney, and is located in its studios in Sussex.