You're Strongly Advised To Look At These Awesome Vintage Pictures Of London

    From Observing the Crowd: Photographs by Bob Collins, now on at the Museum of London.

    Alan White
    by Alan White

    BuzzFeed News Reporter, UK

    The Changing of the Guard, outside Buckingham Palace, 1954.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Bob Collins was a photographer who lived from 1924 to 2002.

    The morning rush hour, Victoria Railway Station, c.1955.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Born in East Ham, Collins embraced photography from the age of 7.

    Billingsgate Fish Market porters, Lower Thames Street, 1958.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Later, working in watchmaking in Covent Garden, he eagerly pursued his passion for photographing post-war London.

    Children gathered around a comics stall, Romford Market, c.1947.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    He achieved his first published illustrated article in Amateur Photographer in 1952 and regularly wrote about photographic technique.

    A photographer on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, Admiralty Arch, 1 June 1953.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    In 1956, diverging from street photography, Collins secured permission to photograph backstage at the London Palladium.

    Addressing the crowd at Speakers’ Corner, Hyde Park, c.1955.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    He never looked back, turning to freelance photojournalism professionally.

    A customer considers a purchase, Billingsgate Fish Market, 1958.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    His portfolio was full of portraiture - from TV stars to artists – but he also did a lot of documentary work.

    At a skiffle club party, Soho, 1959.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    The 50 images on display have been selected to show Collins’ acute observational skills in crowded places.

    Derby Day, Epsom Downs Racecourse, late 1950s.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Anna Sparham, Curator of Photography at the Museum of London, said: "In his documentary photography, Collins honed the art of successfully detaching a person or telling moment from a busy scene or making remarkable images of the crowd itself."

    Derby Day, Epsom Downs Racecourse, late 1950s.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    She added: "He is an inspirational figure in London’s twentieth century photography, providing a fabulous visual record of our capital."

    Young boy waiting to travel, possibly Waterloo Station, c.1960.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Find out more about the exhibition here.

    Dressed for the occasion, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Championships, Wimbledon, 1960.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Waiting for the bus, central London c.1960.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Ticket inspector, Victoria Station, c.1960.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    The morning rush hour, Victoria Station, 1960.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Clashes at an Oswald Mosley rally, Trafalgar Square, 22 July 1962.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Amongst demonstrators at an anti-Vietnam War protest, Hyde Park, 1969.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk

    Lining the streets for the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, central London, 1981.

    Bob Collins/Museum of London / Via museumoflondon.org.uk