Public Domain: Unexploded Bombs in London from NY Times Collection, ca. 1948 (NARA)

If it were hi-res enough, I'd crop it to here for a post-1940s modern feminist shot. But there are lots of other crops possible.

This image is believed to be in the public domain and is from the National Archives. More information may be found below.

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ARC Identifier: 541903
Title: A 2,500 pound German bomb, buried opposite University College Hospital, London, was removed by Army sappers. Before the bomb, which fell in 1941, was de-fused, people in the area were evacuated to a safe distance. New York Times Paris Bureau Collection., ca. 1948

Large image (118594 Bytes)

Creator: U.S. Information Agency. (08/01/1953 - 03/27/1978) ( Most Recent)

Type of Archival Materials:
Photographs and other Graphic Materials
Level of Description:
Item from Record Group 306: Records of the U.S. Information Agency, 1900 - 1992

Location: Still Picture Records LICON, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001 PHONE: 301-837-3530, FAX: 301-837-3621, EMAIL: stillpix@nara.gov
Production Date: ca. 1948

Part of: Series: Photographic File of the Paris Bureau of the New York Times, ca. 1900 - ca. 1950

Access Restrictions:
Unrestricted

Use Restrictions: Unrestricted

General Note: Use War and Conflict Number 1014 when ordering a reproduction or requesting information about this image. This image is part of the New York Times Paris Bureau Collection.

Variant Control Number(s):
Local Identifier: NWDNS-306-NT-901C(20)
NAIL Control Number: NWDNS-306-NT-901C(20)

Copy 1
Copy Status: Preservation-Reproduction-Reference
Storage Facility: National Archives at College Park - Archives II (College Park, MD)
Media
Media Type: Photographic Print

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Comments

StevenM_61 says:

Even to this day, unexploded bombs from WWII are occasionally found in cities that were bombed in the war.
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

sarflondondunc says:

A 2,200lb bomb was discovered in Bromley-by-Bow, East London couple of days ago.
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called London at war, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

sarflondondunc says:

Thanks for adding
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Fin Fahey says:

Great addition to the London at War pool and, as dunc says, at a timely moment. Still vaguely trying to figure out just where by UCH this is.

The Conservative election poster is interesting, wish I could read more of it. If this is 1948, then the next general election was to be in February 1950 - I suppose that campaigning might have started that early. Of course it could be a survivor of 1945, or it could be to do with local elections.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

ƒliçkrwåy says:

Would a policeman be able to carry the little girl now? I doubt it!
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

sarflondondunc says:

And even hold a girls hand. Just look how thin the policemen are. Not like today's fat cops.
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

Fin Fahey says:

Rationing was still running in 1948 (actually it was worse for some commodities than in 1945). Basically, good point there, dunc.

However, this whole shot seems just wrong to me - I believe it's mostly staged, presumably for the NYT, though it may have taken advantage of the signage that was already there (perhaps the UXB had already been defused).

As to why I think it's fake, there a number of indicators - an obvious one being why an evacuation was still taking place (of a clearly middle-class family, I should say) after St Pancras Borough Council had spent all that time pottering round erecting a bunch of signage. (See that bloke hanging round in the background - probably his job was to make sure no-one nicked the signs, it were like that in them days...)

The common direction of gaze of the mother and the elder sister are important give-aways (stage direction, I'd say), but more importantly, note the lack of urgency on behalf of the protagonists. It's clearly not an urgent situation from their body language, so the two little girls would be holding their mother's hands and there would be no need for two constables (well I fail to see how even one would be needed).

(And I wonder now as to whether those are real coppers, they don't look exactly at home in those uniforms.)
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

Fin Fahey says:

May I say, in spite of my cursory dissection of this as a *documentary* photo, it is nonetheless a terrific *art* photo, the cigarette ad to picture right totally makes it - and I do not believe that was an unintentional part of the composition.

So kudos to the anonymous auteur, (who I suspect may have been female).
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

sarflondondunc says:

Maybe you right Fin the uniforms do look very crisp and clean maybe they are all models.
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

ludgatehillthestrand says:

The fashion on the woman is the new look that came out in 1947 when skirts became longer after the wartime shortage of cloth. I put this photo by the hairstyle and the dress as anywhere from 1947 to about 1954 and more 50s than 40s. I would say.
Posted 14 months ago. ( permalink )

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Public Domain: Unexploded Bombs in London from NY Times Collection, ca. 1948 (NARA)

Comments

StevenM_61 says:

sarflondondunc says:

sarflondondunc says:

Fin Fahey says:

ƒliçkrwåy says:

sarflondondunc says:

Fin Fahey says:

Fin Fahey says:

sarflondondunc says:

ludgatehillthestrand says:

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