Destruction Collection

Holland House library after an air raid BB83_04456
HOLLAND HOUSE, Kensington, London. An interior view of the bombed library at Holland House with readers apparently choosing books regardless of the damage. Photographed in 1940

A woman enjoys a cup of tea in the midst of the bomb damage at New Cross after air raids on London in World War Two June 1944

Propaganda poster for the RAF during World War Two. Victory of the Allies is assured. Intensive bombing of Germanys war industries continues

Tinsley cooling towers, Sheffield
Tinsley cooling towers being demolished. These towers were built in 1938 as part of the Blackburn Meadows power station and stood over 75 metres tall

Australian troops at remains of Chateau Wood, Passchendaele, 1917
WWI: PASSCHENDAELE, 1917. Australian troops walking along duckboards through the remains of Chateau Wood, during the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium. Photograph, 29 October 1917

Particle physics experiment, artwork
Particle physics experiment. Artwork of tracks of particles detected following a collision in a particle accelerator. In these experiments

EVNT2A-00183
British army burning the White House in 1814 during the War of 1812. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

HMS Iron Duke and the Great Fire of Smyrna, 1922
A vivid photograph of the burning of Smyrna after its capture by the Turks, with HMS Iron Duke, the flagship of the Mediterranean fleet, in the foreground. Date: 1922

Bouncing Bomb
Plans for Operation Chastise drawn by Sir Barnes Neville Wallis for the bouncing bomb used in the raid known as the Dambusters in World War II Date: c. 1943

Supernova explosion, artwork
Supernova explosion, computer artwork. Supernovas are the explosive deaths of massive stars

GODZILLA. A scene from one of the Godzilla movies

Bombed St Thomas Hospital
The site of an air raid, which severely damaged St Thomas Hospital, London, May 1941. The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben can be seen across the Thames

BRUEGEL: TRIUMPH OF DEATH. Triumph of Death; tempera on panel, c1562, by Peter Bruegel the Elder

Tinsley cooling towers demolition
Tinsley cooling towers being prepared for demolition. These towers were built in 1938 as part of the Blackburn Meadows power station and stood over 75 metres tall

Bomb damage, Birmingham 1942 OP09006
HIGHGATE ROAD, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, West Midlands. Bomb damage photographed by James Nelson, 29th July 1942

City of London 1945
A panorama of London by Cecil Brown, architect and painter, commenced in 1942, completed in 1945, showing the results of the wartime bombing of the area and dedicated to the citizens of London

St Brides Church, London 1941 BB69_02583
FLEET STREET, London. St Brides Church was rebuilt to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London

St Sidwells Church, Exeter 1942 BB42_03938
EXETER, Devon.The remains of St Sidwells Church on Sidwell Street after bomb damage during the Exeter blitz, photographed by Margaret Tomlinson in 1942

Bomb damage, Exeter BB42_00712
Exeter, Devon. A view looking towards the remains of the terrace of houses comprising numbers 25-36 Southernhay West showing bomb damage

GREAT FIRE OF LONDON, 1666. The Great Fire of London, England, 1666. Contemporary oil painting by a member of the Dutch School

Damage to Canterbury Cathedral Library, WW2 - Baedeker Blitz
" Canterbury under fire" - Damage sustained to the Cathedal LIbrary examined by Dr. Hewlett Johnson, Dean of Canterbury, by bombing on the city by German planes of the luftwaffe during WW2

Three American soldiers at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, France, following the Allied liberation of the city, August 1944
WORLD WAR II: PARIS, 1944. Three American soldiers at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, France, following the Allied liberation of the city, August 1944

Exeter bomb damage OP07079
EXETER CATHEDRAL, Cathedral Close, Exeter, Devon. View looking east towards Exeter Cathedral from the tower of St Mary Arches Church, showing an area of bomb damage following the bombing in 1942

GODZILLA. A scene from one of the Godzilla movies

Particle physics experiment, artwork
Particle physics experiment. Artwork of tracks of particles detected following a collision in a particle accelerator. In these experiments

Exeter Cathedral bomb damage BB42_00740
EXETER CATHEDRAL, Devon. On the night of 3-4 May 1942 a bomb fell on the Chapel of St James in the south choir aisle of the cathedral, causing considerable damage to the late 13th-century fabric

Bomb damage, Liverpool 1941 BB90_03807
GREAT CHARLOTTE STREET, Liverpool. View of bomb damage and pedestrians going about their daily routines, May 1941

Card commemorating Graf Spee destruction, WW2
Card commemorating the destruction of the German cruiser, Admiral Graf Spee, on 13 December 1939 by HMS Exeter, Ajax and Achilles following the Battle of the River Plate. Date: 1939

Tinsley cooling towers demolition
Tinsley cooling towers being demolished. These towers were built in 1938 as part of the Blackburn Meadows power station and stood over 75 metres tall

GODZILLA. Godzilla destroying an oil refinery in one of the Japanese Godzilla movies

The Battle of Ballinahinch, 13th June 1798, c. 1798 (oil on canvas)
TPG251597 The Battle of Ballinahinch, 13th June 1798, c.1798 (oil on canvas) by Robinson, Thomas (bef.1770-1810); Private Collection; (add.info)

Black hole, computer artwork. Planets, moons, stars, radiation and other matter are all spiralling into the black hole, dragged by immense gravitational forces

Palace ruins at the Minoan archaeological site, Knossos, island of Crete, Greek Islands, Greece, Europe

Collingwood Street, Blackfriars CXP01_01_058
COLLINGWOOD STREET, BLACKFRIARS, SOUTHWARK, GREATER LONDON. A view looking north-east along Collingwood Street, showing figures walking past weatherboarded cottages on the east side of the street

Ruins of Ypres
Ruins of the cloth hall in Ypres, Belgium on the Western Front during World War I

The Great Hall Norwich, 1942 a42_03739
The Great Hall, Oak Street, Norwich, Norfolk. The interior of a first floor room in The Great Hall at Flowerpot Yard showing bomb damage

Oak Street Norwich, 1942 a42_03736
Oak Street, Norwich, Norfolk. The houses at 110 to 98 Oak Street showing bomb damage

Fenian bombing BL05153
THE RISING SUN, Great Scotland Yard, London W1. Bomb damage to Rising Sun pub, showing its windows blown out and staff standing beside a damaged carriage lying in a pile of rubble

Gen Wheelers entrenchment at Cawnpore, March 1858 (b / w photo)
NAM310697 Gen Wheelers entrenchment at Cawnpore, March 1858 (b/w photo) by Beato, Felice (Felix) (1825-c.1908); National Army Museum

The Mine in the chutter Munzil exploded by the enemy at the first attack of General
NAM310751 The Mine in the chutter Munzil exploded by the enemy at the first attack of General Havelock, Lucknow (b/w photo) by Beato, Felice (Felix) (1825-c.1908); National Army Museum

Gateway leading into the Residency, held by Captain Atkinson of the 13th Native Infantry
NAM310741 Gateway leading into the Residency, held by Captain Atkinson of the 13th Native Infantry (b/w photo) by Beato, Felice (Felix) (1825-c.1908); National Army Museum

Scene showing a destroyed residential street in the city of Plymouth following an air raid by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. 13th August 1943

Scene of destruction in Caroline Street, Kingston Upon Hull after an air raid on the city on the night of 24th June 1943

WW1 - White Chateau, Hollebeke in ruins
circa 1910s

Arch of Titus. Rome. Italy
Roman Art. Arch of Titus. Erected in the year 81 to commemorate the conquest of Titus against the Jews. It features carved scenes of the conquest and subsequent destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70)

CUBA: U. S. S. MAINE, 1898. Destruction of the U. S. Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor
CUBA: U.S.S. MAINE, 1898. Destruction of the U.S. Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, 15 February 1898. Contemporary chromolithograph by Kurz & Allison

The Sygna is located on Stockton Beach and is the largest shipwreck ever to be washed up on the eastern coast of Sygna wreck off Stockton Beach Australia

York North locomotive depot, London & North Eastern Railway, 29 April 1942
York North locomotive depot, London & North Eastern Railway. A4 locomotive 4-6-2 no. 4469 Sir Ralph Wedgwood damaged beyond repair as a result of a German air raid during the Second World War

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"Destruction: A Haunting Reminder of the Ravages of War" The Holland House library, once a sanctuary for knowledge and culture, reduced to rubble after a devastating air raid in BB83_04456. Amidst the chaos and destruction at New Cross, a woman finds solace in a simple cup of tea, symbolizing resilience amidst the ruins left by merciless air raids. Tinsley cooling towers stand as towering remnants of an industrial landscape scarred by bombings during wartime Sheffield, serving as haunting reminders of the destructive power unleashed upon innocent lives. A propaganda poster for the RAF captures both the heroism and devastation that war brings - showcasing their might while acknowledging the destruction it leaves behind. The City of London in 1945 bears witness to its own rebirth from ashes; buildings shattered but spirits unbroken, as hope rises amidst scenes of desolation. HMS Iron Duke witnessed firsthand the Great Fire of Smyrna in 1922 - an inferno that consumed an entire cityscape and forever etched into history as one of humanity's darkest moments. EVNT2A-00183 portrays an eerie aftermath where streets are lined with debris and broken structures serve as grim reminders that even mighty cities can crumble under relentless bombardment. St Thomas Hospital stands battered yet defiant after being targeted by enemy bombs - a testament to unwavering dedication towards healing amidst chaos and destruction. The Bouncing Bomb represents mankind's ingenuity turned weapon - capable not only inflicting widespread destruction but also altering warfare strategies forevermore through innovative engineering feats. Bruegel's "Triumph of Death" painting serves as a chilling reminder that destruction is not limited to wars alone; it lurks even within art itself, depicting mortality's triumph over life's fragility with vivid strokes on canvas.