The Mary Evans Picture Library in the UK has uploaded 999 new pictures of previously unseen images their exclusive representation of the London Fire Brigade image archive.
Staff at Mary Evans Picture Library have been given unparalleled access to the brigade’s extensive archive and have selected and scanned a wide range of imagery to form a set with equal helpings of drama and nostalgia to appeal to both editorial and commercial picture buyers. The majority of these new images focus on the brigade’s rescue operations and reveal missions that can vary from terrifyingly large-scale blazes to rescuing a hospital escapee halfway down a drainpipe to releasing little boys with their heads stuck in railings! Besides these fascinating photographs, additional material also covers the brigade’s origins, historic transport and equipment, training programmes, scenes in London, portraits of significant members of the brigade and even examples of early American fire fighting paraphernalia.
Of particular note is a comprehensive collection of images showing the experiences of fire fighters during the Blitz.
‘These pictures portraying the dark days of the Blitz are some of the most evocative and startling I have seen,’ said Tom Gillmor, Head of Content at Mary Evans. ‘They convey the absolute devastation suffered in the capital and were captured by the fire fighting personnel and volunteers who were often first on the scene.’
View and license the images here