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I Bring Old Photos Of The London Underground During The 1940-1941 Blitz Back To Life
My name is Lottie, and I love looking through old photos. For my day job I work in costume, so I’m passionate about social history and getting the colour accurately matched. I recently started colourising black and white photographs to bring out how the scene would have actually looked at the time the picture was taken. I think black and white photographs have a beautiful style of their own, but colourising them helps the pictures feel relevant and relatable today, and gives them more context in the real world.
I chose to colourise a series of photographs from the Blitz during World War Two. The original images are so interesting, and I find it surreal that people took shelter in all sorts of places whilst the war was happening around their homes. I hope that by doing this, I can reinforce that people over 75 years ago looked and felt just the same as we do today. Hope you enjoy them!
More info: Instagram | colourisedphoto
These colourised photographs show how people took shelter in the London Underground in the 1940s
The Blitz was an almost daily bombing raid during 1940/1941. During this time, Londoners were encouraged to take cover overnight in the tube stations and tunnels
Originally the Government had concerns that people would be too scared to leave the tube and would not surface to work towards the war effort. With many having nowhere else to go, they relented
Numbers averaged around 150,000 a night, however a total of 177,000 people spent the night underground on 27th September 1940
It was far from safe. Many people were killed from direct station hits. In March 1943, 173 people died in a crush at Bethnal Green station when a woman panicked and slipped on the stairs entering the station
Many felt safer sleeping with the noise of the bombing more muffled above them as they slept deeper down in the stations and tunnels
They look surprisingly snug!
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What do you think ?
Sarah Poli 6 years ago
Lottie, it's a beautiful and meaningfull work that you do. And I thank you for sharing it with us.
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you so much for such a lovely message! xx
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Light 6 years ago
Nowadays people would sometimes complain about baby boomers ruining the economy, about the difficulty of home ownership, about millenials spoiled rotten. Honestly, I am grateful I am not born during both world wars and witnessed and experienced its atrocities. We as a generation were still fortunate living in a relative time of peace.
Agnes Jekyll 6 years ago
The situations that led to the rise of the far right in Germany are very prevalent in the world right now. Yes, we've lived through a very peaceful time, but the world is far from stable right now.
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Gerry Higgins 6 years ago
My mother told me stories of her childhood growing up during the blitz. Playing the the underground and breaking their gas masks
Sarah H 6 years ago
Such a simple idea (though not simple to do) that brings life to these photos. Where I would have flicked through the B&W versions, I've spent ages looking at the detail in these. Thank you.
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed them!
Load More Replies...
Brigitta Swart 6 years ago
I am fascinated with the people sleeping on the escalator, that looks so uncomfortable, but I suppose there were so many seeking shelter. Thank you for showing us these in colour
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you! As a 'fidgety' sleeper I don't think I would have faired well on escalator!
Load More Replies... Faramir10 6 years ago
Good job on colorizing. I have seen some bad colorized jobs, (which totally ruins the picture) but your pictures are really good.
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you, Im glad you like them!
Load More Replies...
Sheila Stamey 3 years ago
My grandfather was drafted into the navy, even though he was classified as married,a farmer, had children and was classified as what we would call an essential worker because he was both a farmer and was a talented carpenter. He was sent to London from S. Carolina, USA and was in the blitz, helping build. It terrified him to no end. He had never been more than twenty miles away from home.
Seán Baron 3 years ago
Jerry Springer was born in a Tube Station - Highgate on the Northern Line.
Full Name 6 years ago
You probably didn't do all the writing but if you did, can you explain "In March 1943, 173 people died in a crush at Bethnal Green station when a woman panicked and slipped on the stairs entering the station"? 173 people died because a woman slipped on some stairs and started a panic?
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
The writing was all my own! On one evening at around 8.30pm there were a large number of people, mostly mothers with their children, trying to enter the station when there was the sound of artillery fire and rumours quickly spread. In trying to hurry down the poorly lit stairwells one lady slipped, causing a a crush that killed 173 people in around 15 seconds.
Load More Replies...
Franc Esca 3 years ago
Looking surprisingly snug? An over goamourised era. Sleeping in the tunnels brought many of the dangers that still haunt homeless people today. It wasn't one massive sleepover with everyone having tea
LeilaOdinis 6 years ago
Thank you for sharing your wonderful work. Pictures like these should not be forgotten in the digital age.
Sarah Poli 6 years ago
Lottie, it's a beautiful and meaningfull work that you do. And I thank you for sharing it with us.
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you so much for such a lovely message! xx
Load More Replies... Light 6 years ago
Nowadays people would sometimes complain about baby boomers ruining the economy, about the difficulty of home ownership, about millenials spoiled rotten. Honestly, I am grateful I am not born during both world wars and witnessed and experienced its atrocities. We as a generation were still fortunate living in a relative time of peace.
Agnes Jekyll 6 years ago
The situations that led to the rise of the far right in Germany are very prevalent in the world right now. Yes, we've lived through a very peaceful time, but the world is far from stable right now.
Load More Replies... Gerry Higgins 6 years ago
My mother told me stories of her childhood growing up during the blitz. Playing the the underground and breaking their gas masks
Sarah H 6 years ago
Such a simple idea (though not simple to do) that brings life to these photos. Where I would have flicked through the B&W versions, I've spent ages looking at the detail in these. Thank you.
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed them!
Load More Replies... Brigitta Swart 6 years ago
I am fascinated with the people sleeping on the escalator, that looks so uncomfortable, but I suppose there were so many seeking shelter. Thank you for showing us these in colour
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you! As a 'fidgety' sleeper I don't think I would have faired well on escalator!
Load More Replies... Faramir10 6 years ago
Good job on colorizing. I have seen some bad colorized jobs, (which totally ruins the picture) but your pictures are really good.
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
Thank you, Im glad you like them!
Load More Replies... Sheila Stamey 3 years ago
My grandfather was drafted into the navy, even though he was classified as married,a farmer, had children and was classified as what we would call an essential worker because he was both a farmer and was a talented carpenter. He was sent to London from S. Carolina, USA and was in the blitz, helping build. It terrified him to no end. He had never been more than twenty miles away from home.
Seán Baron 3 years ago
Jerry Springer was born in a Tube Station - Highgate on the Northern Line.
Full Name 6 years ago
You probably didn't do all the writing but if you did, can you explain "In March 1943, 173 people died in a crush at Bethnal Green station when a woman panicked and slipped on the stairs entering the station"? 173 people died because a woman slipped on some stairs and started a panic?
Lottie Cutcher (Post author) 6 years ago
The writing was all my own! On one evening at around 8.30pm there were a large number of people, mostly mothers with their children, trying to enter the station when there was the sound of artillery fire and rumours quickly spread. In trying to hurry down the poorly lit stairwells one lady slipped, causing a a crush that killed 173 people in around 15 seconds.
Load More Replies... Franc Esca 3 years ago
Looking surprisingly snug? An over goamourised era. Sleeping in the tunnels brought many of the dangers that still haunt homeless people today. It wasn't one massive sleepover with everyone having tea
LeilaOdinis 6 years ago
Thank you for sharing your wonderful work. Pictures like these should not be forgotten in the digital age.
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