People Gallery

Royal proclamation JRU01_01_078

National Westminster Bank, Prince's Street, City of London. A view from Cornhill towards the National Westminster Bank, looking over crowds gathered outside the Royal Exchange and on rooftops of nearby buildings and the Bank of England, for the public proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Exchange.
Princess Elizabeth was formally proclaimed Queen on 8th February 1952, following the death of her father, George VI, on 6th February. An accession proclamation was published in the London Gazette on 6th February and in The Times on 7th February. The formal proclamation ceremony took place at St James Palace at 10:00am, when Elizabeth proclaimed herself Queen. After the ceremony, the accession proclamation was read to the public from the balcony of St James Palace overlooking Friary Court, and then in Trafalgar Square, Fleet Street, and the Royal Exchange, by the Garter Principal King of Arms and Officers of Arms

© Historic England Archive

Coach and four CXP01_01_153

A horse-drawn coach driving past a group of cottages in an unidentified area of London, with spectators watching. The people on top of the coach may be part of a coaching club meet driving from Hyde Park to places such as Crystal Palace for lunch, as part of the London Season.
This photograph appears to have been taken sometime between 1895 - 1905

© Historic England Archive

Iron lung at Lourdes med01_01_0369

Sanctuary Of Our Lady Of Lourdes, Basilica Of Our Lady Of The Rosary, Lourdes, France. View of clergy passing pilgrims, including a trailer housing a patient in an iron lung, at Lourdes. The first viable iron lung was built in 1876, and throughout the early 20th century ventilators were designed to augment the work of the respiratory muscles through the use of sub-atmospheric pressure around the patient's body. Photographed for the Topical Press Agency Ltd in May 1939

© Historic England Archive