Every Friday I send out an email that features photos from the Rupert Leach Collection, snaps taken from the personal View-Master reels of View-Master’s Director of Photography in the 1940s and ‘50s. These never-before-published images show alternative shots of some commercial View-Master reels and personal photos of Leach, his wife Poppy, and others.
I try to get to the bottom of the people and places pictured within despite the limited context provided by mostly unmarked reels. Let’s dig in!
We’re still in London this week, discovering photos that never made it into commercial View-Master reels. First up: The Changing of the Guard.
This is a classic tourist stop in London for a reason. It’s free. And it’s the only chance to bump up against the Royal Family pomp and circumstance if you’re just a regular Joe.
Here’s a rundown of what it entails for the uninitiated:
Onto the photos:
If you’d like to compare these shots to the commercial reel, you can see all the photos included in that reel here.
I didn’t go to see the Changing of the Guard when I was in London last summer because my visit was too brief, and I felt like it would take forever. However, I am mad I didn’t go into any of the palaces! I have to go back.
This is a lovely vivid shot in 3D but I can’t place where in London this is. I’ve only been there once and I mostly just ate fried fish and walked around. And I spent one whole day at the Portobello Road market. They didn’t have any View-Master reels. I was disappointed. Anyway, anybody have any idea where this was taken? (Side note: When I find out new information, I am putting it in the comments of the original post, so check there if you have questions or updates).
Taken along the River Thames, I believe this is where you get tickets to go aboard the Cutty Sark near Greenwich Pier. I found the photo below on eBay and it seems to date to around the same time as the one above.
Kinda neat!
This is The Cenotaph, London’s war memorial.
Unveiled in 1920, it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens to honor the dead lost in WWI. It was rededicated in 1946 to include WWII and now is a general monument to those who died in service to the country.
Now this is curious. I couldn’t get close to 10 Downing Street when I was in London as the whole street was blocked off. Of course, that wasn’t always the case as you can see here.
It is, of course, the official residence of the UK Prime Minister. The address and its historical significance in London dates all the way back to 1732 when King George II offered it to Robert Walpole when he was serving as First Lord of the Treasury (a position traditionally held by the UK Prime Minister).
One of the reasons I couldn’t get anywhere near it was because a man drove into it just days before I got there last year! The fact that the 1 is missing off the front door is odd here. It was why I didn’t recognize it as 10 Downing Street. However, after comparing it to many photos online, it was clear.
If you made it this far you should smash that ❤️ button so I know you’re out there and following along. Thanks for reading, friends!
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The London soldiers seem to move a lot faster than their counterparts in Arlington National Cemetery's slo-mo ceremony. They might have other stuff to do!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4utXb3auOew