Then and Now: Electric Avenue, post-war
Photographic comparisons of old and modern views of Lambeth



c. 1956 A view along Electric Avenue taken from near the junction of Brixton Road. The extent of war damage can be clearly seen, with advertising hoardings concealing the bomb-site to the right (see 1912 view for comparison). Note the motorbike and sidecar parked nearest the camera and the neon 'Florists' sign further down the street. Brixton's multi-racial community was already starting to form by the fifties - note the mixed couple walking towards the camera.
(pic: Lambeth Archives)



Dec 2003 Electric Avenue is normally packed with market stalls and shoppers, so I had to take this photo on a quiet Sunday morning to ensure I could match the views correctly. The advertising hoardings have now been replaced by a row of food and cosmetics shops, housed in a rather ugly, low level concrete building.

See: William Davies, 5, 7, 9 Electric Avenue, 1897.



« back to history homepage     next page »