Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
More information
Title
Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
Reference
SC_PHL_01_260_F6718 (Collage 91774)
Date
Collection
London Metropolitan Archives: LCC Photograph Library
Description
Festival of Britain construction site on the corner of York Road and Waterloo Road, Waterloo, looking north-west. The railway viaduct carries trains from Waterloo East (formerly Waterloo Junction Station) across Hungerford Bridge to Charing Cross. The remaining buildings are numbers 3-13 York Road. Two trailers are in the foreground of the site, with other machinery including a steam crane. This site forms the road system at Waterloo including the roundabout and IMAX cinema. The Festival of Britain was a nationwide event that took place in the summer of 1951. Originally intended to mark the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851, it became a way to celebrate Britain and its achievements rather than including international themes. The construction of the Festival on its flagship South Bank site required the demolition of the industrial and residential buildings between Waterloo Bridge and County Hall. After the Festival, the South Bank site was cleared of all festival infrastructure except the Royal Festival Hall on the orders of Winston Churchill, who saw the Festival as a beacon for socialist ideas.
Festival of Britain construction site on the corner of York Road and Waterloo Road, Waterloo, looking north-west. The railway viaduct carries trains from Waterloo East (formerly Waterloo Junction Station) across Hungerford Bridge to Charing Cross. The remaining buildings are numbers 3-13 York Road. Two trailers are in the foreground of the site, with other machinery including a steam crane. This site forms the road system at Waterloo including the roundabout and IMAX cinema. The Festival of Britain was a nationwide event that took place in the summer of 1951. Originally intended to mark the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851, it became a way to celebrate Britain and its achievements rather than including international themes. The construction of the Festival on its flagship South Bank site required the demolition of the industrial and residential buildings between Waterloo Bridge and County Hall. After the Festival, the South Bank site was cleared of all festival infrastructure except the Royal Festival Hall on the orders of Winston Churchill, who saw the Festival as a beacon for socialist ideas.
<a href="view-item?i=94049" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View this item on the London Picture Archive for further options including print and digital sales.</a>
View this item on the London Picture Archive for further options including print and digital sales.
License
Copyright London Metropolitan Archives, all rights reserved. Provided for research purposes only. For commercial and other uses please contact us via
support@londonpicturearchive.org.uk
Attribution
London Metropolitan Archives. Please cite document title, reference and collection.