Bombsite Collection

Children Battersea Playing on Bobsled; 10 April 1963

British ambulance drivers, 30 Jul 1917. Creator: Bain News Service
British ambulance drivers, 30 Jul 1917. Elsie Knocker, the Baroness de T'Serclaes (1884-1978) and Mairi Chisholm (1896-1981) standing in the ruins of Pervijze (Pervyse), West Flanders

British officers luncheon in wrecked village, 1917 25 April 1917. Creator: Bain News Service
British officers luncheon in wrecked village, 1917 25 April 1917. British officers eating lunch in the ruins of a building at E´treillers, Aisne, France on April 25, 1917 during World War I

AI IMAGE - Portrait of Sir Winston Churchill standing in bomb-damaged London street, 1940s, (2023). Politician and statesman Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Memorial in Austin Friars, London 1941, (1941). Creator: Anton Abraham van Anrooy
Memorial of the German invasion of the Netherlands, at the ruins of the Dutch Church in Austin Friars, London 1941, (1941)

Air raid damage, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, World War II, April 1940. The first British casualties of the German bombing of England occurred at Clacton on 30 April 1940

Bombsite in Central London
Second World War bombsite in Central London. Date: circa 1950s

Lille: Ruine, 1916. Creator: Ernst Oppler
Lille: Ruine, 1916

Churchill Visits Battered Malta, 1943, (1945). Creator: Unknown
Churchill Visits Battered Malta, 1943, (1945). British Prime Minister Winston Churchill walking among ruined houses in the dockyard area of Valletta

Bombed site, Hampstead, 1951. Creator: Shirley Markham
Bombed site, Hampstead, 1951. Empty lot in London after World War Two bombing. Shirley Markham (1931-1999) studied Graphic Design and Illustration at Central School of Art in London from 1950-1952

Bombed houses, Trigo Road, Poplar, London, WWII, 1943
Bombed houses, 32-40 Trigo Road, Poplar, London, WWII, 1943. Street of two-storey terraced houses with bay windows. The house on the left has lost its entire front wall

Mark Lane, London, 1945. View of destruction between Mark Lane and Mincing Lane, from bomb damage sustained in 1942 during World War Two

St Mary-le-Bow, London, 1941. Interior view of St Mary-le-Bow showing bomb damage. The building is open to the sky and the ground is covered with rubble

German bombing of Paris, 30th August 1914, (1919). Artist: Andre Helle
German bombing of Paris, 30th August 1914, (1919). A book of the principal events of the war period. A print from Le livre des heures heroiques et douloureuses des annees, by Andre Helle

150-megaton thermonuclear explosion, Bikini Atoll, 1 March 1954.The unexpected spread of fallout from the test led to awareness of, and research into, radioactive pollution. Courtesy UNO

Hiroshima, Japan, after the dropping of the atom bomb in August 1945. On 6 August 1945, a United States Air Force B-29 bomber

British firefighters damping down a bombed church, World War II, June 1940. Two firefighters use a hose to spray water onto smouldering roof timbers

Rescue workers releasing a man from a bomb damaged building, World War II, 1940. The large-scale German bombing campaign directed at Britains cities began in August 1940

Aftermath of a German bombing raid, Merseyside, World War II, March 1941. Rescue workers searching for survivors in the wreckage of buildings after a Luftwaffe air raid

Postcard showing damage to Deffieux Restaurant, Porte St. -Martin, after the 1871 Paris Commune
Postcard showing damage to Deffieux Restaurant, Porte St.-Martin, after the 1871 Paris Commune

Site around St. Pauls Cathedral being cleared
St. Pauls Cathedral, standing in a wilderness of bomb damage but with the area around being cleared ready for modern buildings. Picture shows foundations being laid for the Bank of England annexe

Rethel ( France ). The main street and the church. 5 May 1920

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

From the aftermath of war to the resilience of humanity, bombsites have witnessed it all. In Rock Steady's iconic photograph 'Last of the Teddy Girls', we catch a glimpse of both fashion and attitude amidst the rubble. The image by Ken Russell captures a rebellious spirit that refuses to be broken. Meanwhile, in Battersea, children find joy even on a bombsite as they play on a makeshift bobsled. Their innocence shines through despite the destruction surrounding them on that fateful day in April 1963. Traveling back further in time, we witness air raid damage in Clacton-on-Sea during World War II. The haunting image from April 1940 serves as a reminder of the horrors faced by communities across Essex. Closer to home, Central London bears its own scars with remnants of a bombed site standing tall against adversity. These ruins tell stories untold and remind us of our collective strength during times of crisis. Looking beyond borders, Lille stands as an example of ruin during World War I. Ernst Oppler's creation transports us to 1916 when devastation marred this French city but failed to extinguish hope for better days ahead. Winston Churchill's visit to battered Malta in 1943 showcases his determination and solidarity with those affected by war. This powerful moment captured by an unknown creator speaks volumes about leadership and compassion amidst chaos. Shirley Markham's depiction takes us back to Hampstead in 1951 where another bombsite becomes evidence not only of destruction but also renewal, and is here that life finds its way through cracks left behind by bombs dropped from above. Trigo Road in Poplar tells a similar tale with bombed houses bearing witness to Londoners' resilience during WWII. Despite their homes reduced to rubble, these individuals stood strong together against adversity. Mark Lane offers another snapshot into post-war London where rebuilding efforts were underway after enduring relentless bombings throughout WWII.