Bert Hardy (19 May 1913 – 3 July 1995), born in London, worked his way up from a 14-year-old lab assistant to a chemist to become a photographer and one of the 20th Century’s most revered photojournalists.
His talent found a home as a staff photographer on Picture Post, joining the illustrated magazine during the Second World War. He travelled with the armed forces – his images of the Blitz on London are amongst the finest and closest to the action taken.
Below are pictures from Hardy’s private collection. “Stored for decades at his home, these rare black and white photos were kept as keepsakes from his legendary career and are now on display for the very first time.”
Bert Hardy, The Combined Fleets Ashore, Gibraltar, 1954
Bert Hardy, Pool of London 1949
Bert Hardy, Piccadilly, 1953
Bert Hardy, Piccadilly, 1953
Bert Hardy, Sugar Ray Robinson, 1951
Bert Hardy, Life of an East End Parson, 1940
Is There a Colour Bar, Cable St, London, 1949
Firefighters, London, 1941
Teacher and pupils 1956
Ken Joy breaks the London to Brighton cycling Record – 1949
Life of an East End, London, Parson – Nov 23rd, 1940
Royal Wedding, King George VI with the bride, Princess Elizabeth, 1947
Cockney Life at Elephant and Castle, London, January 9th 1949
Bert Hardy, The Pool of London, 1949
The Gorbals, Glasgow, 1948
Bert Hardy, The Gorbals, Glasgow, 1948
Bert Hardy, Pool of London, 1949
Sunday Morning at the Champs-Élysées, 1951 (couple whispering)
Teenagers at the dance 1957
Elephant & Castle, 1949, My Goodness Guinness
For more on Hardy, read David Joseph Marcou’s biography here.
Read more about the exhibition of Hardy’s Personal Vintage Collection at The Photographers’ Gallery.
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