Home of Britain’s bestselling history magazine and award-winning podcast
In pictures: when England won the football World Cup
As the England men's football team prepare to compete in their first major final for 55 years, we look back to 30 July 1966, when Bobby Moore's England triumphed 4-2 against West Germany to win the 1966 World Cup trophy at Wembley Stadium in London
Geoff Hurst's hat-trick in the 1966 match at London's Wembley Stadium secured the Jules Rimet trophy for England for the first (and, to date, only) time in sporting history… <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/07/GettyImages-3418256-7a60fd1.jpg" width="3644" height="2412" alt="Crowds arrive at Wembley Stadium for the 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany. A crowd of 93,000 spectators – including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip – filled the London stadium. (Photo by A. Jones/Evening Standard/Getty Images)" title="Crowds arrive at Wembley Stadium for the 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany. A crowd of 93,000 spectators – including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip – filled the London stadium. (Photo by A. Jones/Evening Standard/Getty Images)" /> Above, crowds arrive at Wembley Stadium for the 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany. A crowd of 93,000 spectators – including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip – filled the London stadium. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/07/GettyImages-3418193-8aed9ad.jpg" width="3666" height="2671" alt="England football fans at Wembley Stadium on 30 July 1966. On 26 July, England's football team had faced Portugal in the semi-finals, and although Portugal's star player Eusébio had scored his ninth goal of the tournament, the hosts won 2-1 to set up the final with West Germany. (Photo by A. Jones/Evening Standard/Getty Images)" title="England football fans at Wembley Stadium on 30 July 1966. On 26 July, England's football team had faced Portugal in the semi-finals, and although Portugal's star player Eusébio had scored his ninth goal of the tournament, the hosts won 2-1 to set up the final with West Germany. (Photo by A. Jones/Evening Standard/Getty Images)" /> England football fans at Wembley Stadium on 30 July 1966. On 26 July, England's football team had faced Portugal in the semi-finals, and although Portugal's star player Eusébio had scored his ninth goal of the tournament, the hosts won 2-1 to set up the final with West Germany. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/07/GettyImages-3143108-ecaaa60.jpg" width="3802" height="2991" alt="On the morning of 30 July 1966, Cissie Charlton is greeted by station staff at King's Cross, London. Her sons Bobby and Jackie played for England in the 1966 World Cup final against Germany. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)" title="On the morning of 30 July 1966, Cissie Charlton is greeted by station staff at King's Cross, London. Her sons Bobby and Jackie played for England in the 1966 World Cup final against Germany. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)" /> On the morning of 30 July 1966, Cissie Charlton (centre) is greeted by station staff at King's Cross, London. Her sons Bobby and Jackie played for England in the 1966 World Cup final against Germany. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/07/GettyImages-90769730-0ee64c0.jpg" width="3504" height="2383" alt="As the host nation for the 1966 World Cup tournament, many people around the country were swept up in the England team’s success and a number of street parties were held. Here, residents of Leta Street, Liverpool – near Everton’s Goodison Park ground, where some of the tournament matches were played – celebrate with cakes and party hats. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)" title="As the host nation for the 1966 World Cup tournament, many people around the country were swept up in the England team’s success and a number of street parties were held. Here, residents of Leta Street, Liverpool – near Everton’s Goodison Park ground, where some of the tournament matches were played – celebrate with cakes and party hats. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)" /> As the host nation for the 1966 World Cup tournament, many people around the country were swept up in the England team’s success and a number of street parties were held. Here, residents of Leta Street, Liverpool – near Everton’s Goodison Park ground, where some of the tournament matches were played – celebrate with cakes and party hats. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/07/GettyImages-52802001-8cfea85.jpg" width="4725" height="3165" alt="The teams from England and West Germany line up with match officials before the World Cup final, 1966. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)" title="The teams from England and West Germany line up with match officials before the World Cup final, 1966. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)" /> The teams from England and West Germany line up with match officials before the World Cup final, 1966. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/07/GettyImages-640493123-8405ec2.jpg" width="3864" height="2904" alt="The West Germany team opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, only for England's replacement striker Geoff Hurst to equalise four minutes later. With 12 minutes of regular time remaining, England's midfielder Martin Peters scored another goal, bringing the score to 2–1. Here, England's Jackie Charlton rushes in to tackle West Germany's forward Sigfried Held. (Photo by Hulton-Deutsch/Hulton Deutsch/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)" title="The West Germany team opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, only for England's replacement striker Geoff Hurst to equalise four minutes later. With 12 minutes of regular time remaining, England's midfielder Martin Peters scored another goal, bringing the score to 2–1. Here, England's Jackie Charlton rushes in to tackle West Germany's forward Sigfried Held. (Photo by Hulton-Deutsch/Hulton Deutsch/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)" /> The West Germany team opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, only for England's replacement striker Geoff Hurst to equalise four minutes later. With 12 minutes of regular time remaining, England's midfielder Martin Peters scored another goal, bringing the score to 2–1. Here, England's Jackie Charlton rushes in to tackle West Germany's forward Sigfried Held. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/07/GettyImages-515497902-bc56f31.jpg" width="4189" height="3024" alt="In the 89th minute, Wolfgang Weber (far left) scored West Germany's second goal, bringing the score to 2–2 and forcing the game to extra time. England's Bobby Moore, the team's captain, is seen raising his hand in the background. (Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images)" title="In the 89th minute, Wolfgang Weber (far left) scored West Germany's second goal, bringing the score to 2–2 and forcing the game to extra time. England's Bobby Moore, the team's captain, is seen raising his hand in the background. (Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images)" /> In the 89th minute, Wolfgang Weber (far left) scored West Germany's second goal, bringing the score to 2–2 and forcing the game to extra time. England's Bobby Moore, the team's captain, is seen raising his hand in the background. West German players protest and England's Bobby Charlton (centre) holds his hands up after Geoff Hurst scores the controversial third goal in extra time. A Russian linesman awarded England a third goal after the ball hit the bar and bounced onto the ground. In the final moments of extra time Geoff Hurst powered home his third goal to give England a 4–2 victory. Hurst became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final and his final score inspired the famous commentary line from the BBC's Kenneth Wolstenhome: "They think it's all over... it is now." <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/07/GettyImages-51957598-2c566c8.jpg" width="2500" height="1812" alt="Queen Elizabeth II presents the Jules Rimet Cup to Bobby Moore, captain of England's national football team, as her husband Prince Philip and hat-trick scoring forward Geoff Hurst (right) look on. (Photo by STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)" title="Queen Elizabeth II presents the Jules Rimet Cup to Bobby Moore, captain of England's national football team, as her husband Prince Philip and hat-trick scoring forward Geoff Hurst (right) look on. (Photo by STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)" /> Queen Elizabeth II presents the Jules Rimet Cup to Bobby Moore, captain of England's 1966 national football team, as her husband, Prince Philip, and hat-trick scoring forward Geoff Hurst (right) look on. England captain Bobby Moore is held aloft by his team-mates. England manager Alf Ramsey and Bobby Moore hold up the gold-plated Jules Rimet trophy. Described by Ramsey as the "spirit and heartbeat" of England's 1966 champions, at the close of his career Moore had won 108 caps and captained his country 90 times. Did you know that, England managed to win and lose the FIFA World Cup in the same year? Prior to the tournament, while on display at a stamp exhibition in Westminster Central Hall in London, the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from under the noses of its guards. Elinor Evans is acting digital editor of HistoryExtra This gallery was first published in 2018
In pictures: 150 years of the British Red Cross
The British Red Cross, a humanitarian network founded to offer impartial aid to the sick and wounded, is marking its 150th anniversary this year. On World Kindness Day, Mehzebin Adam, curator at the British Red Cross Museum & Archives, shares more about its history in both times of war and peace – through eight fascinating objects…
The Red Cross and Red Crescent movement began when Swiss humanitarian Henry Dunant called for a kinder world. Shocked by the suffering of wounded soldiers in the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in 1859, he urged all nations to create volunteer groups to provide impartial relief to the sick and wounded. Dunant’s ideas led to the foundation of the Red Cross in 1863 and the original Geneva Convention in 1864, the first treaty of modern international humanitarian law. Following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the British Red Cross was formed on 4 August to provide relief to the sick and wounded soldiers on both sides of the war. The society joined the global Red Cross movement to work towards the shared goal of helping people in need, no matter who or where they are. 5 acts of kindness that changed history To mark our 150-year legacy, we have launched 150 Voices – an online exhibition to celebrate the charity’s history of connecting human kindness with human crisis. As part of the exhibition, volunteers from around the UK helped to select 150 items from the British Red Cross Museum and Archives. At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has meant that many museums are inaccessible, this new online exhibition allows people to virtually explore the British Red Cross Museum and Archives and learn about the charity’s 150 years of history. You can find out more by visiting the 150 Voices online exhibition Beginnings of the British Red Cross Following an appeal by Robert Loyd-Lindsay in The Times in July 1870, a sum of nearly £200,000 (the equivalent of around £24 million today) had been raised by the National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War, later renamed British Red Cross, to provide relief to the soldiers of the Franco-Prussian War. The painting shows Robert Loyd-Lindsay, on foot, travelling to give equal cash donations of £20,000 (the equivalent of around £2.4 million today) to both sides of the war. He is followed by his assistant, Mr Whittle, who is carrying the money in his bag. The British Red Cross in the First World War The British Red Cross provided convalescent homes, during and after the First World War, for the large numbers of injured servicemen. The medical authorities recommended craftwork as part of the healing process. Beautiful works of art were created by convalescing servicemen, and these were often gifted to the volunteer nurses caring for them. Out of more 90,000 VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachments) recruited by the British Red Cross during the war, around 66,000 were women. The peacetime role of the British Red Cross Considered the deadliest global pandemic in history, the 1918 influenza killed between 50 and 100 million people worldwide. The health emergency demonstrated that wars are not the only threats to humanity, and therefore changed the course of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement forever. In September 1919, the British Red Cross was granted a supplemental charter that extended its original objectives to include the improvement of health, prevention of disease and mitigation of suffering throughout the world. BRC in the Second World War Over the course of the Second World War, the British Red Cross sent around 20 million food parcels from the UK to Allied prisoners of war (POWs) held captive overseas. Food was often scarce in the POW camps, and these parcels were intended to provide the prisoners with vital nourishment to supplement their dietary intake and prevent starvation. First aid In addition to first aid training for volunteers, the British Red Cross has played a significant role in teaching and promoting first aid to members of the public. This illustrated triangular bandage was used to treat injured civilians during the Second World War. The images on the bandage show 32 different ways of applying it, allowing it to be used without referring to a first aid manual. Emergency response Hurricane Hattie struck British Honduras (known as Belize today) on 31 October 1961, killing more than 400 people, and leaving thousands homeless. The photograph shows a Junior Red Cross member giving a disaster relief kit to two young boys. These kits had been flown in from the UK along with other aid sent by the British Red Cross. Fleece blankets, like this one, are used by the British Red Cross when they are providing relief to people in crisis in the UK. The British Red Cross has played and continues to play an important role in responding to emergencies in the UK, such as fires and floods. This involves providing food, practical and emotional support, as well as providing wheelchairs. Refugees and displacement For over a century, the British Red Cross has helped protect and support people in the UK and overseas who are forced to flee their homes. Today, there are at least 70 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. The British Red Cross is committed to supporting and protecting displaced people at all stages of their journey. This artwork, titled Journey by boat, shows refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat. Refugees are often forced to travel on overcrowded boats run by smugglers. The boats are not always seaworthy and risk capsizing at sea. The artist produced the work at a British Red Cross young refugee support centre in Gravesend, Kent. Nine years of war in Syria has resulted in more than 11.6 million fleeing their homes, and around five million people now live as refugees. The coronavirus pandemic has created further challenges for Syrians, especially for the people living in camps in Syria where social distancing is difficult or impossible. The British Red Cross works with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to provide food parcels like this to people in Syria. Each box is designed to support a family of five for a month. View Gallery on the source website Find out more about each image and more, by visiting the 150 Voices online exhibition
The Crown S4 news: Netflix releases first images of Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher
Netflix has released first look images from the fourth series of The Crown, which will see debuts from Emma Corrin as Princess Diana and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher...
Pictures of actresses Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson as Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher are among stills released by Netflix today ahead of season four of The Crown. In one image, Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) can be seen tentatively holding the hand of her rival-in-love, Camilla Parker Bowles (Emerald Fennell). In another, Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) is pictured waving on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street, presumably after being elected as the UK's first woman prime minister on 4 May 1979. Netflix's popular royal drama has explored many hidden intricacies of the British royal family over three series so far, providing an engrossing portrait of the 20th-century monarchy. Series three took viewers up to the year 1977, with the fourth series – which arrives on Netflix on 15 November – likely to pick up in the late 1970s. Upcoming plot lines are expected to include Charles's and Diana's relationship; tensions between the Queen and Margaret Thatcher, as the latter leads the country into the Falklands War; and the death of Lord Mountbatten at the hands of the IRA. What can we expect from series 4 of The Crown? Plus a recap of series 1–3 The series also stars Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II; Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret; Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip; Erin Doherty as Princess Anne; and Marion Bailey as the Queen Mother. View the rest of The Crown S4 images below Who plays who in the upcoming season of The Crown? And what do they really look like? Your guide to the cast of Netflix’s popular royal drama Watch: The Crown S4 sneak peek View oEmbed on the source website Rachel Dinning is the Digital Editorial Assistant at HistoryExtra
In pictures: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On 6 August 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan that instantly killed around 78,000 people. Many more would die in the years to come from the effects of nuclear radiation – by the end of 1945 the death toll had reached approximately 140,000. Three days later, on 9 August, a second bomb targeting Nagasaki killed around 35,000 people and the final death toll was calculated as at least 50,000
For years debate has raged over whether the US was right to drop the two atomic bombs on Japan during the final weeks of the Second World War. Here, we look back at some of the photos taken in the aftermath of the attack... <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2015/07/GettyImages-50698631-e535247.jpg" width="858" height="1024" alt="Aerial view of the mushroom cloud of smoke as it billows 20,000 ft. in the air, following the United States Air Force's detonation of an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima, Japan, August 6, 1945. (Photo by Time Life Pictures/US Army Air Force/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)" title="Mushroom Cloud Over Hiroshima" /> Read more about this topic The science behind the bombing of Hiroshima Should America have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The countdown to Hiroshima <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2015/07/GettyImages-53313850-157442f.jpg" width="822" height="1024" alt="A mother and child, dressed in traditional clothing, sit on the ground amid rubble and brunt trees, Hiroshima, Japan, December 1945. On August 6, some four months previously, the United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city--three days later a second one was dropped on Nagasaki. (Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)" title="Mother & Child In Wasteland" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2015/07/GettyImages-52017175-27b290d.jpg" width="1024" height="775" alt="HIROSHIMA, JAPAN - JANUARY 1: Picture dated 1948 showing the devastated city of Hiroshima after the US nuclear bombing on the city 06 August 1946 during World War II. (Photo credit should read STF/AFP via Getty Images)" title="Picture dated 1948 showing the devastated city of" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2015/07/GettyImages-107706853-2fceda0.jpg" width="1016" height="1024" alt="JAPAN - AUGUST 01: Some Victims Of The Catastrophe Who Took Refugee In The Rubbles Of A Bank, Transformed Into A Provisonal Haven. On August 01St 1945. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)" title="Victims Of The Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2015/07/GettyImages-104405329-e2617f1.jpg" width="1024" height="733" alt="JAPAN - JULY 01: General view in July 1946 of the Nagasaki Medical School in Japan: it was located at about one kilometer from where the American atomic bomb was dropped. The structure of the buildings held but debris and fallen trees are everywhere. One year after the explosion, the ruins of the bombing are still in evidence: the city which is still radio-active has been deserted by the survivors. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)" title="Ruins Of The Medical School Courtyard, Nagasaki" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2015/07/GettyImages-154421574-eebd22d.jpg" width="1024" height="900" alt="Ministry Of Home Defence (Scientific Advisers' Branch), A view of the devastation caused by the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan on 6 August 1945. (Photo by Imperial War Museums via Getty Images)" title="Ministry Of Home Defence (Scientific Advisers' Branch)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2015/07/GettyImages-113639017-bed652a.jpg" width="685" height="1024" alt="Portrait of an unidentified and injured mother and son as they pose with boiled rice balls provided by emergency services the day after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, August 10, 1945. The pair stand one mile southeast of the hypocenter (or ground zero) of the detonation. Dropped by a B-29 Superfortress named 'Bockscar,' the bomb was codenamed 'Fat Man.' (Photo by PhotoQuest/Getty Images)" title="Nagasaki Survivors" /> Do you think the US was right to drop the two atomic bombs on Japan? Share your views by commenting below, by tweeting us @HistoryExtra, or by posting on our Facebook page
In pictures: the history of London’s Heathrow Airport
First opened officially as ‘London Airport’ in 1946 and renamed ‘Heathrow’ in 1966, today more than 78 million passengers travel through Heathrow Airport annually. Amid the ongoing legal fight over controversial plans to build a third runway by 2026, read more about the airport's history…
Heathrow Airport's controversial plans to build a third runway have been thrown into doubt after a court ruling this week. How much do you know about the site's history? An airfield was established on the site we now know as Heathrow Airport as far back as 1929, in the village of Heath Row in Harmondsworth, but it was not until the Second World War that expansion got under way. Following the end of the war, the airport was handed over from military to civil control on 1 January 1946. The first commercial flight to take off from Heathrow that same day was a converted Lancaster bomber named Starlight that flew to Buenos Aires. Here we explore the history of Heathrow Airport in photos… <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-3069465-7c41a88.jpg" width="3624" height="2659" alt="Waterlogged runways at Heathrow (then known as London Airport) on 28 May 1946, one week before the airport became Britain's main aerial gateway to the United States. (Photo by Harry Todd/Fox Photos/Getty Images)" title="Waterlogged runways at Heathrow (then known as London Airport) on 28 May 1946, one week before the airport became Britain's main aerial gateway to the United States. (Photo by Harry Todd/Fox Photos/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-634242193-5d0ca40.jpg" width="5020" height="3690" alt="Workmen attempt to trench away water from around the marquees for passengers at the new London Airport, 30 May 1946. The marquees were a temporary arrangement as the airport prepared to accommodate flights from the United States. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="Workmen attempt to trench away water from around the marquees for passengers at the new London Airport, 30 May 1946. The marquees were a temporary arrangement as the airport prepared to accommodate flights from the United States. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-87893950-85a1290.jpg" width="3526" height="4761" alt="British South American Airways hostess Mary Guthrie about to board a converted Lancaster bomber named Starlight at London Airport, before a test-flight to Buenos Aires, 1 January 1946. The flight was the first from the newly-inaugurated airport. (Photo by Fred Morley/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="British South American Airways hostess Mary Guthrie about to board a converted Lancaster bomber named Starlight at London Airport, before a test-flight to Buenos Aires, 1 January 1946. The flight was the first from the newly-inaugurated airport. (Photo by Fred Morley/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-3430675-b300138.jpg" width="3270" height="2654" alt="A motor-tricycle 'scooter' being used for quick communication between airport buildings and planes at London Airport (Heathrow), 1 July 1947. One of the planes on the tarmac is a Pan-Am Clipper Line Yankee. (Photo by Harry Shepherd/Fox Photos/Getty Images)" title="A motor-tricycle 'scooter' being used for quick communication between airport buildings and planes at London Airport (Heathrow), 1 July 1947. One of the planes on the tarmac is a Pan-Am Clipper Line Yankee. (Photo by Harry Shepherd/Fox Photos/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-634242059-a4ae33e.jpg" width="1024" height="830" alt="The new gift shop at London Airport, selling items by Chanel, Wedgwood and Pringle of Scotland, 8 November 1961. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="The new gift shop at London Airport, selling items by Chanel, Wedgwood and Pringle of Scotland, 8 November 1961. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-634241697-9090a55.jpg" width="4760" height="3801" alt="The Autogrill restaurant at the new Forte's Airport Hotel near Heathrow Airport, 10 March 1964. (Photo by J. Wilds/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="The Autogrill restaurant at the new Forte's Airport Hotel near Heathrow Airport, 10 March 1964. (Photo by J. Wilds/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-613504770-1a58292.jpg" width="3621" height="2809" alt="The Beatles arrive at London Airport upon their return from America, February 1964. They wave at the many fans who have come to the airport to greet them. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)" title="The Beatles arrive at London Airport upon their return from America, February 1964. They wave at the many fans who have come to the airport to greet them. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-763100113-badc04c.jpg" width="5267" height="3534" alt="Playboy founder Hugh Hefner (1926-2017) with a group of bunny girls at Heathrow, 25 June 1966. Hefner had flown in for the opening of the London Playboy Club in Mayfair. (Photo by Ted West/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="Playboy founder Hugh Hefner (1926-2017) with a group of bunny girls at Heathrow, 25 June 1966. Hefner had flown in for the opening of the London Playboy Club in Mayfair. (Photo by Ted West/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-515451844-9ae8304.jpg" width="2330" height="2606" alt="The view as seen by airline pilots when approaching Heathrow – from an altitude of 12,500 feet – in 1968, made by Fairey Surveys Limited. From this height the runways appear to be a five-point star. (Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images)" title="The view as seen by airline pilots when approaching Heathrow – from an altitude of 12,500 feet – in 1968, made by Fairey Surveys Limited. From this height the runways appear to be a five-point star. (Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-3304055-0ecbe16.jpg" width="3112" height="1940" alt="The take-off at Heathrow Airport of the first commercial Concorde flight, 21 January 1976. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)" title="The take-off at Heathrow Airport of the first commercial Concorde flight, 21 January 1976. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-965440784-95e6018.jpg" width="5342" height="3592" alt="Passengers wait near the departures board at Heathrow Airport, 4 January 1979. (Photo by John Minihan/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="Passengers wait near the departures board at Heathrow Airport, 4 January 1979. (Photo by John Minihan/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-3290981-7fd5594.jpg" width="2976" height="1992" alt="Holiday-makers waiting in the departure lounge at Terminal Three of London's Heathrow airport during delays caused by industrial action taken by Canadian air traffic controllers, 11 August 1981. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)" title="Holiday-makers waiting in the departure lounge at Terminal Three of London's Heathrow airport during delays caused by industrial action taken by Canadian air traffic controllers, 11 August 1981. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-1882720-5b749f8.jpg" width="3108" height="4092" alt="Members of the British pop group Duran Duran pose on an airplane ramp before departing for Australia from Heathrow Airport, 26 July 1983. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)" title="Members of the British pop group Duran Duran pose on an airplane ramp before departing for Australia from Heathrow Airport, 26 July 1983. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-50587039-de6d749.jpg" width="3072" height="2048" alt="A line of British Airways-crested plane tails and an empty BOAC airline shuttle bus at Heathrow Airport, 5 June 1990. (Photo by Peter Jordan/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)" title="A line of British Airways-crested plane tails and an empty BOAC airline shuttle bus at Heathrow Airport, 5 June 1990. (Photo by Peter Jordan/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-158066356-5c7bb7c.jpg" width="1929" height="2862" alt="The Queen Mother’s corgis disembarking a plane at Heathrow Airport after returning from the summer visit to Balmoral, 29 October 1993. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)" title="The Queen Mother’s corgis disembarking a plane at Heathrow Airport after returning from the summer visit to Balmoral, 29 October 1993. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-535058254-1f9865a.jpg" width="4193" height="4231" alt="A father supports his son on his shoulders as a four-engined airliner passes directly overhead, about to land at London's Heathrow airport, 17 August 1997. Prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, British airport authorities and police tolerated plane spotters near runway fences. (Photo by In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)" title="A father supports his son on his shoulders as a four-engined airliner passes directly overhead, about to land at London's Heathrow airport, 17 August 1997. Prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, British airport authorities and police tolerated plane spotters near runway fences. (Photo by In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-505228974-c3270bd.jpg" width="4890" height="3237" alt="An aerial view of Heathrow Airport showing the service area with Boeing 747 and Concorde aircraft, 2006. (Photo by English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images)" title="An aerial view of Heathrow Airport showing the service area with Boeing 747 and Concorde aircraft, 2006. (Photo by English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/06/GettyImages-976633846-ceef5ac.jpg" width="5109" height="3421" alt="An aeroplane flying over rooftops near Heathrow Airport, April 2008. (Photo by BuildPix/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images)" title="An aeroplane flying over rooftops near Heathrow Airport, April 2008. (Photo by BuildPix/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images)" /> Emma Mason is the Digital Editor of HistoryExtra.com This article was first published by History Extra in June 2018
In pictures: English life in the 1960s, photographed by Tony Ray-Jones
Emma Slattery Williams explores the work of Tony Ray-Jones: a pioneer of British post-war photography whose images distilled the lighthearted, social side of English life in the late 1960s
Between 1966 and 1969, photographer Tony Ray-Jones – then in his mid-twenties – travelled across England in a campervan, capturing on camera what he described as the essence of “the English way of life… before it becomes more Americanised”. His fascination with ‘Englishness’ – from manners and traditions, to eccentricities and comedy – saw Ray-Jones travel the length and breadth of the country, capturing amusing and often poignant images of people at work and at play, enjoying their leisure time in a uniquely English way, or focussed on their daily struggle to survive. The resulting images encompass a wealth of English scenes – from disorganised family days at the beach, to the airs and graces of Glyndebourne: snapshots of history that are forever English. Here are some of BBC History Revealed's favourites, taken from a new Bristol exhibition on Tony Ray-Jones. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/12/78.-0001-0024_Tony-Ray-Jones_SSPL-d93b973.jpg" width="1181" height="788" alt="Mabelthorpe, 1967. A familiar and often chaotic family scene at the beach. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" title="Mabelthorpe, 1967. A familiar and often chaotic family scene at the beach. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/12/78.-44S_21_8_Tony-Ray-Jones_SSPL-e0072c8.jpg" width="1157" height="772" alt="The seaside, 1966. A couple catches some rays while listening to music on a portable record player, singles lined up on the blanket beside them. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" title="The seaside, 1966. A couple catches some rays while listening to music on a portable record player, singles lined up on the blanket beside them. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/12/78.-AR8_3_Tony-Ray-Jones_SSPL-b85e32f.jpg" width="1181" height="788" alt="Glyndebourne, 1967. Music fans picnic in style at the annual opera festival. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" title="Glyndebourne, 1967. Music fans picnic in style at the annual opera festival. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/12/78.-LOM14_33-002_Tony-Ray-Jones_SSPL-9af18c3.jpg" width="1181" height="787" alt="Notting Hill Gate, 1967. Although best known for capturing the lighter side of English life, Ray-Jones often recorded the daily struggle to survive. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" title="Notting Hill Gate, 1967. Although best known for capturing the lighter side of English life, Ray-Jones often recorded the daily struggle to survive. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/12/78.-SH29-37-004_Tony-Ray-Jones_SSPL-423ebe6.jpg" width="1181" height="787" alt="Windsor Horse Show, 1967. This annual event draws in horse lovers from across the world to watch dressage and show jumping. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" title="Windsor Horse Show, 1967. This annual event draws in horse lovers from across the world to watch dressage and show jumping. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/12/78.-SP21B_20A-001_Tony-Ray-Jones_SSPL-f9b6d3f.jpg" width="1181" height="787" alt="Epsom Derby Day, 1968. Horse-racing fans enjoy the summer tradition of eating ice-creams – from the relative comfort of their car. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" title="Epsom Derby Day, 1968. Horse-racing fans enjoy the summer tradition of eating ice-creams – from the relative comfort of their car. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/12/78.-SS74_17_Tony-Ray-Jones_SSPL-b8b0944.jpg" width="1181" height="787" alt="Brighton, 1966. The English seaside has long been a place of enjoyment for all ages, whatever the weather. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" title="Brighton, 1966. The English seaside has long been a place of enjoyment for all ages, whatever the weather. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/12/78.-SS75_31A-002_Tony-Ray-Jones_SSPL-f5e03dc.jpg" width="1181" height="787" alt="Brighton Beach 1967. An elderly man rolls up his trousers and enjoys a spot of paddling in the sea. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" title="Brighton Beach 1967. An elderly man rolls up his trousers and enjoys a spot of paddling in the sea. (Image © Tony Ray-Jones/National Science & Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library)" /> EXHIBITION: The English Seen by Tony Ray-Jones will run at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol until 21 December 2019. Admission is free. READ: An accompanying book has been published by RRB Photobooks/Martin Parr Foundation, titled Tony Ray-Jones This article was first published in the Christmas 2019 edition of BBC History Revealed
In pictures: the glittering treasures of Tutankhamun
What did pharaohs take with them to the afterlife? Tarek El Awady, curator of a new exhibition of treasures from Tutankhamnun's tomb at the Saatchi Gallery in London, tells BBC History Revealed what these objects – some of which are leaving Egypt for the first time – can tell us about the Boy King
Born in c1342 BC, Tutankhamun ruled Ancient Egypt for around ten years until his death at the age of about 19. His short time as pharaoh was not especially memorable, but the 1922 discovery of the Boy King’s intact tomb sealed his place in the history books. After years of excavations, the English archaeologist Howard Carter stumbled across Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, revealing rooms filled with what he described as “wonderful things” to the world. 8 things you (probably) didn’t know about Tutankhamun What killed Tutankhamun? Why was mummification used in Ancient Egypt, and why did they leave the heart in the body? In November 2019, some 150 of those precious objects go on display at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Below is a glimpse at a handful of those treasures – many of which are leaving Egypt for the first time. Beetle mania <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/10/Web-Tut-Pics-72DPI6-889e13c.jpg" width="1024" height="640" alt="Scarab beetle jewellery" title="Tutankhamun’s tomb had been filled with precious objects to aid the Pharaoh on his journey into the afterlife. This piece of jewellery features a scarab beetle made of lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone prized for its intense blue colour, making it a favourite for Ancient Egyptian jewellery. The scarab was regarded as sacred; Khepri was the scarab-faced god of the rising Sun and rebirth. “After grave goods had been placed inside the tomb, a curse inscription was often carved to protect it,” explains Tarek El Awady, curator of the Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh exhibition. “Such curses might have threatened that the bones of anyone who touches the tomb would be crushed by nails or his blood will be poisoned by snakes, for example.” Despite the rumours, it’s unknown if any curses were placed on Tutankhamun’s tomb. If there were, they weren’t heeded as the tomb is believed to have been raided more than once.(Image by Laboratoriorosso, Viterbo/Italy)" /> Tutankhamun’s tomb had been filled with precious objects to aid the Pharaoh on his journey into the afterlife. This piece of jewellery features a scarab beetle made of lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone prized for its intense blue colour, making it a favourite for Ancient Egyptian jewellery. The scarab was regarded as sacred; Khepri was the scarab-faced god of the rising Sun and rebirth. “After grave goods had been placed inside the tomb, a curse inscription was often carved to protect it,” explains Tarek El Awady, curator of the Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh exhibition. “Such curses might have threatened that the bones of anyone who touches the tomb would be crushed by nails or his blood will be poisoned by snakes, for example.” Tutankhamun: who’s afraid of the pharaoh’s curse? A brief history of the afterlife 8 ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses you might not know about Despite the rumours, it’s unknown if any curses were placed on Tutankhamun’s tomb. If there were, they weren’t heeded as the tomb is believed to have been raided more than once. Walking on gold <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/10/Web-Tut-Pics-72DPI5-4a24622.jpg" width="1024" height="640" alt="Tutankhamun's funerary sandals" title="Made from solid gold for funerary use, these sandals would have been placed on the dead Pharaoh’s feet before he was wrapped in strips of linen. They resemble leather and plant sandals Tutankhamun would have worn in life. The role of the sandal-bearer to a pharaoh was one of the most important positions in Ancient Egyptian society. As well as carrying a pharaoh’s footwear, they would also wash the royal feet. (Image by Laboratoriorosso, Viterbo/Italy)" /> Made from solid gold for funerary use, these sandals would have been placed on the dead Pharaoh’s feet before he was wrapped in strips of linen. They resemble leather and plant sandals Tutankhamun would have worn in life. The role of the sandal-bearer to a pharaoh was one of the most important positions in Ancient Egyptian society. As well as carrying a pharaoh’s footwear, they would also wash the royal feet. Immortal body Ancient Egyptians believed the body was needed in the afterlife and a great deal of care was taken to preserve it after death. “To prevent damage to the deceased’s body – something particularly important for pharaohs, who, it was thought, became divine after death – ‘stalls’ such as these were placed on fingers and toes so that they would keep their shape,” says El Awady. “Gold was especially valued because, like the Ancient Egyptian gods, it doesn’t rust or change. It goes on forever.” Symbols of pharaonic power The crook and flail were the fundamental symbols of royal power in Ancient Egypt – the shepherd’s crook representing kingship and the flail the fertility of the land. This particular example was found within the wrappings of Tutankhamun’s mummy. The crossed hands are made of gold with coloured glass while the crook and flail have silver cores. 10 things you (probably) didn't know about ancient Egypt Where, in Ancient Egypt, did people live? Life in Ancient Egypt: what was it like? Divine protection Elaborate pieces of jewellery known as pectorals were similar to large necklaces and would have been worn over the chest. The gold falcon here represents the god Horus, who is holding the sign for eternity (shen) in his claws. Horus was thought to be the creator and protector of the pharaohs. Fun and games As well as food, clothes and weapons, several games – including this Senet board –were also found in the Boy King’s tomb, to enjoy in the afterlife. Senet was a popular game in Ancient Egypt across all levels of society. The game was traditionally played by two people, but scenes on the wall of Nefertari’s tomb – wife of Pharaoh Rameses II – show her playing against an invisible adversary in order to move on into the afterlife. King of the hunt An item that may look out of place in an Ancient Egyptian tomb was the boomerang. “We found many different boomerangs in the tomb, the non-returning and the returning kind,” says El Awady. “They were used from at least the Old Kingdom, many hundreds of years before Tutankhamun. The most famous depiction of their use was of a boomerang being thrown from a boat in the marshlands in Delta, for catching birds” Spiritual sustenance This wooden container is believed to have held a mummified duck while others held cuts of meat, such as beef and goat. Some 48 of these ‘meat mummies’ were found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. “Cuts of meat were wrapped in linen and placed inside these containers to sustain the Pharaoh during his journey to the afterlife,” says El Awady. “They have even been created in the shape of the cuts of meat contained within. Magical music This hand-held musical instrument – about 20 inches high – is known as a sistrum and may have been used during Tutankhamun’s burial rites. “We’ll be displaying one of two sistrums found in the antechamber, above one of the Pharaoh’s funerary beds,” comments El Awady. “Sistrums were usually played by women; perhaps Ankhesenamun, wife and queen of Tutankhamun, was holding this object during her husband’s funeral. “The sistrum was not only a musical instrument; it had a greater value, as it was believed to be the most beloved musical instrument of Hathor. Hathor was the pharaohs’ protective goddess with a temple in Dendera where singers played sistrums – the rattling sound they made was believed to bring life to the body.” A heavy heart Removing the body’s internal organs was a vital part of the mummification process. These were stored in canopic jars, which often had elaborate stoppers like this one, made of calcite. The heart was the one organ which was never removed; it was believed to be weighed in the afterlife against the Feather of Ma’at – the symbol of justice and truth. The god Osiris was thought to determine if the deceased had committed good deeds on Earth and therefore deserved to live forever in the afterlife. Fierce protector This wooden shield, one of eight found in the tomb’s annexe, portrays Tutanhamun as a sphinx, trampling on his enemies. A falcon sits atop the sphinx, a depiction of the war god Montu. The openwork of the wood suggests that this shield was created for ceremonial purposes rather than actual combat. Symbolically, the shield depicts the Pharaoh as a strong leader, protecting Egypt from disorder by driving out its enemies. The hand of the king These linen gloves are one of the few items in the exhibition that experts believe were actually used by Tutankhamun while he was alive. “Most of the objects found in the tomb are ceremonial, or designed to be used by the Pharaoh in the afterlife” says El Awady. “These gloves, made out of linen, were probably worn by Tutankhamun during the winter time, when he was living in Memphis [then capital of Ancient Egypt], or when he was riding his royal chariot.” Tarek El Awady is an international Egyptologist and previously Director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. He is the curator of the Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh exhibition and was speaking to BBC History Revealed staff writer Emma Slattery Williams VISIT: Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh is at Saatchi Gallery in London from 2 November 2019 to 3 May 2020 LISTEN: A new BBC Radio 4 documentary, The Cult of King Tut, is available on BBC Sounds This content first appeared in the December 2019 issue of BBC History Revealed
In pictures: remembering the Berlin Wall 30 years on
November 2019 marks 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany’s solution to the mass emigration of its citizens at the height of the Cold War. To mark the anniversary, we rounded up a selection of images showcasing the history of the wall – from its construction in August 1961 to its fall in 1989...
The Berlin Wall was built at the height of the Cold War, on 13 August 1961. Its purpose? To keep disaffected East German citizens from moving to the west... <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/10/GettyImages-104403345-26ea85d.jpg" width="1024" height="761" alt="August 1961: Building commandos of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic begin building the 3.5 metre-high wall to separate East Berlin from the other parts of the city. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)" title="August 1961: Building commandos of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic begin building the 3.5 metre-high wall to separate East Berlin from the other parts of the city. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/10/GettyImages-508218185-68ec275.jpg" width="1024" height="739" alt="December 1961: An armoured truck cleans away debris after the East German government ordered construction work to strengthen the border crossing at Heinrich-Heine-Strasse (aka Checkpoint Delta) on the Berlin Wall. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="December 1961: An armoured truck cleans away debris after the East German government ordered construction work to strengthen the border crossing at Heinrich-Heine-Strasse (aka Checkpoint Delta) on the Berlin Wall. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" /> The Berlin Wall: key facts When was the Berlin Wall built? The Berlin Wall was constructed in August 1961 after East German communists were given approval by Moscow to close the border between East and West Germany and build a physical barrier. Why was the Berlin Wall built? The Berlin Wall was constructed to stop people from East Germany moving to the west at the height of the Cold War. Prior to the wall's existence, one in six people had been fleeing the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR), many in search of work and a better life. The border installations around West Berlin zig-zagged for 163 kilometres, or just over 100 miles. "It turned the usual function of walls – to keep people out – on its head; this wall was solely to keep its citizens in," writes Professor Patrick Major for HistoryExtra. When did the Berlin Wall fall? The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989, following a press conference in which East German politician Günter Schabowski suggested that people would be "immediately" able to apply for passports to travel to the west. "By midnight tens of thousands of East Berliners had swamped the border checkpoints whose Stasi guards realised that the game was up," writes Professor Patrick Major. Read more facts about the history of the Berlin Wall <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/10/GettyImages-508218187-88286cc.jpg" width="1024" height="738" alt="January 1962: Members of the East German Volkspolizei (police) repair a damaged section of the Berlin Wall. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" title="January 1962: Members of the East German Volkspolizei (police) repair a damaged section of the Berlin Wall. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" /> Did the Cold War ever really end? Escape from East Berlin: an audacious bid to tunnel under the Berlin Wall <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/10/GettyImages-2672715-7f03f64.jpg" width="1024" height="744" alt="Crowds of Germans wait for friends and relatives to arrive from the opposite sector on a day the wall is open. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)" title="Crowds of Germans wait for friends and relatives to arrive from the opposite sector on a day the wall is open. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)" /> The secret history of the Berlin Wall What happened after the fall of the Berlin Wall? <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/10/GettyImages-90954165-6fc1684.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Early November 1989: Germans living in West Berlin crowd in front of the Berlin Wall to watch guards open a new crossing point near Potsdamer Platz" title="Early November 1989: Germans living in West Berlin crowd in front of the Berlin Wall to watch guards open a new crossing point near Potsdamer Platz. (Photo by GERARD MALIE/AFP via Getty Images)" /> <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2019/10/GettyImages-527012766-8b27357.jpg" width="1024" height="688" alt="9 November 1989: A young man in East Berlin attacks the Berlin Wall following news that the government would grant exit visas to anyone wishing to go to the west. Within hours, people were smashing sections of the wall – leading to the complete opening of the border within days. (Photo by robert wallis/Corbis via Getty Images)" title="9 November 1989: A young man in East Berlin attacks the Berlin Wall following news that the government would grant exit visas to anyone wishing to go to the west. Within hours, people were smashing sections of the wall – leading to the complete opening of the border within days. (Photo by robert wallis/Corbis via Getty Images)" /> Read more about the history of the Berlin Wall, its construction and its fall, here.
The term 'the Ashes' first originated in 1882 after England's cricket team lost to Australia at The Oval in London. Since then, the Test series has continued between the rival teams. We look back at some of the most memorable matches through history...
<img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/01/ashes8001-be8a253.jpg" width="800" height="530" alt="BDW39T The Australian XI of 1882, the cricket team toured England and won the only test at the Oval, the start of the Ashes legend. Image shot 1882. Exact date unknown." title="The Australian XI of 1882, the cricket team toured England and won the only test at the Oval, the start of the Ashes legend. Image shot 1882. Exact date unknown." /> An 'obituary' in The Sporting Times on the 'death' of English cricket, which appeared after England lost the 1882 Test Match against Australia. The bales were burnt and the ashes placed in an urn to become 'The Ashes', for which the Australia and England cricket teams compete. The England team for the second Test of the 1899 Ashes series against Australia. The Australians won the match by 10 wickets. All the other four matches of the series were drawn. A print from The Book of Cricket, a Gallery of Famous Players, edited by CB Fry, George Newnes Ltd, London, c1899. Tibby Cotter of Australia bowling to Wilfred Rhodes of England in the second Ashes Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, 30 December 1911 to 3 January 1912. England won the match by eight wickets. (Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The English cricket team during a team photo at the start of their Ashes campaign, 1928. SMH SPORT Picture by HH FISHWICK. (Credit: Fairfax Media/Fairfax Media via Getty Images) Don Bradman of Australia in bat while wicketkeeper Godfrey Evans and Bill Edrich field for England during the first Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, England, 1948. Australia won by eight wickets. (Credit: Allsport Hulton/Archive) 'The Ashes', a funeral trophy for which English and Australian cricket teams compete. It is kept in the Long Room of the pavilion at Lord's cricket ground in London. Picture dated 1951. (Credit: Central Press/Getty Images) Mr and Mrs O’Neill, Mr and Mrs Williams and Mr Deane wait for day two of the third test to commence at the SCG, 5 January 1951. SMH Picture by Frank Burke. A victorious England team carries their captain Ray Illingworth off the field after clinching the Ashes by a 62 run win in the 7th Test Match in Sydney. Two captains, Australia's Ian Chappell, left, and England's Ray Illingworth, toast the end of The Ashes Series at the Fifth Test at The Oval, during Australia's 1972 tour of England, 10 -16 August 1972. Ian Chappell of Australia drops the ball from Derek Pringle of England during First Ashes Test match in Perth, Australia, 1982. The match ended in a draw. (Credit: Adrian Murrell/Allsport/Getty Images)
In pictures: erotic postcards of the early 20th century
By the early 20th century, hundreds of thousands of images had become available showing women in varying degrees of undress. Printed with postcard backs, in Britain the trade in these erotic cards was hidden, and they were often sold 'under the counter' in tobacconists, newsagents and bookshops...
As historian Nigel Sadler reveals, in earlier years the aim of such images was to capture the female form rather than to titillate, and photographers could only produce images of the female nude for use by artists. In Erotic Postcards of the Early Twentieth Century, Sadler explores the changes in social attitudes, fashions and technology through the medium of erotic postcards, and charts the journey from the partly clad to full nude. Writing for History Extra, Sadler summarises the history of erotic postcards, and shares some of the most fascinating images from his book… For centuries, artists have depicted naked females. Therefore, it was not surprising that when photography was introduced, some photographers gravitated to the female nude as their subject matter. The idea was to capture the female form rather than to titillate. However, as the genre progressed images became more risqué: clothing left on but unbuttoned; furniture added to suggest a bedroom; the model interacting with the camera by gazing at it. Bettany Hughes on the symbol of Venus In bed with the Romans: a brief history of sex in Ancient Rome History’s most fascinating muses The authorities wanted to control the production and sale of these images. With daguerreotype images (the first photographic process) in the 1840s and 1850s this was easy, as there were few photographers, and in France photographers had to register with the authorities and could only produce images for use by artists. As photography became easier and cheaper, more studios opened and some, mostly in Paris, started to produce risqué postcards. At this point the authorities lost control. The heyday of the erotic postcard was between the 1890s and the 1930s, but in this instance the term ‘postcard’ is a misnomer: even though many were printed with a postcard back, they were intended to be collected rather than sent. The postcard size made it easier to hide and sell the cards ‘under the counter’. For studios the priority became maximising income rather than creating art. In the studio, photographers created one set of images and took a series of photographs of the model – starting fully dressed and ending topless or fully naked. These were then sold in sets of up to 12 cards, and became known as ‘French postcards’, as this was where most were produced. Due to the clandestine nature of the business (even though many cards carried studio logos), little is known about the studios or the photographers responsible for making erotic postcards. Very few photographers ‘signed’ their work, and even less is known about the models: they were originally believed to be Parisian prostitutes, but it in fact appears they were more likely working-class women who made money on the side by modelling. The postcards also reflect changing ideologies in the work of artists and in society generally. The ‘new sculpture movement’ of the 1870s introduced more realistic model poses, and pushed the boundaries of acceptable taste for nude figures – this opened the way for the wider range of poses used by early 20th-century photographers. Sexing up history: how to study and tell the history of sex The Tudor sex guide Queen Victoria’s voracious appetite for food and sex By 1880, ‘art photography’ had developed, because photographers wanted their work to be accepted as an art form. Some extended this into the study of naked people and posed models following the rules of painting, experimenting with light and shade. The German avant-garde ‘new age outdoor’ or plein air movement popularised naturism in the 1920s and 1930s, and encouraged many photographers to step outside the comfort of the studio to utilise natural light and scenery. The risqué postcard genre in effect ended by the start of the Second World War, and post-war these types of images appeared in magazines and in a range of photographic formats. One type of postcard rarely discussed when studying the First World War is the risqué image showing women in a state of undress or fully nude. This postcard, by Jean Agélou Studios in Paris, is from the start of a risqué sequence (a latter card probably showed this woman at least topless) and was sent to Miss Gladys Gamble by Corporal Black in 1916 informing her that he was in the Reading War Hospital recovering from shrapnel injuries. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/01/644716-10a-3a179c1.jpg" width="1000" height="1535" alt="Woman with leg up on a chair" title="One type of postcard rarely discussed when studying the First World War is the risqué image showing women in a state of undress or fully nude. This postcard, by Jean Agélou Studios in Paris, is from the start of a risqué sequence (a latter card probably showed this woman at least topless) and was sent to Miss Gladys Gamble by Corporal Black in 1916 informing her that he was in the Reading War Hospital recovering from shrapnel injuries. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy)" /> At the turn of the 20th century Lucien Waléry (1863–1935) was a popular photographer who captured regular models and stars of the time like Nina Barkis (pictured below), an opera singer and dancer. He was happy photographing women both in body stockings and naked, and in the 1920s Waléry produced a series of photographs of a topless Josephine Baker (an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress). (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/01/644716-18b-d91eeee.jpg" width="1000" height="1527" alt="A woman photographed in a body stocking, early 20th century" title="At the turn of the 20th century Lucien Waléry (1863–1935) was a popular photographer who captured regular models and stars of the time like Nina Barkis (pictured here), an opera singer and dancer. He was happy photographing women both in body stockings and naked, and in the 1920s Waléry produced a series of photographs of a topless Josephine Baker (an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress). (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy)" /> The Loges d’Artistes were the dressing rooms at theatres in France – a natural arena for women to be getting dressed and undressed in. This is just one card from a large set from c1900, and it shows performers preparing for Faust - a play about a scholar who sells his soul to the devil. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy) The text in this image suggests that these ladies are preparing to go for a swim and are changing in the bathroom. Surprisingly, given the subject matter, this card was posted in Belgium in 1907 and was delivered to its intended recipient, Mademoiselle Gabrielle Van Sale. The sender is unknown. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/01/644716-34a-b8e603a.jpg" width="1000" height="1539" alt="Two women photographed as if preparing for a swim" title="The text in this image suggests that these ladies are preparing to go for a swim and are changing in the bathroom. Surprisingly, given the subject matter, this card was posted in Belgium in 1907 and was delivered to its intended recipient, Mademoiselle Gabrielle Van Sale. The sender is unknown. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy)" /> This Italian card is attempting to achieve a pose similar to a classical painting. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy) The most common way of adding colour was through hand-tinting, which could result in much softer colours than real life – as shown in this image, which is also found on cards with the logo of Charles Collas and Co, the company name of a postcard producer. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/01/644716-67c-c5a20aa.jpg" width="1000" height="1530" alt="A photograph of a nude woman, early 20th century" title="The most common way of adding colour was through hand-tinting, which could result in much softer colours than real life – as shown in this image, which is also found on cards with the logo of Charles Collas and Co, the company name of a postcard producer. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy)" /> The beach and seaside became a natural setting for naturist poses, partly because of the seclusion of some areas, but also as some beaches openly allowed nudity. This image was probably produced in Germany (c1920s). (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/01/644716-86b-e884e94.jpg" width="1000" height="1472" alt="A nude woman on a beach, probably produced in Germany in the 1920s" title="The beach and seaside became a natural setting for naturist poses, partly because of the seclusion of some areas, but also as some beaches openly allowed nudity. This image was probably produced in Germany (c1920s). (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy)" /> This card, published by the A Noyer Studios, was part of series of a woman in a river and illustrates Julian Mandel’s skill as a photographer. He uses light, shade, and reflection to make the most of his model and to make it a work of art. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2018/01/644716-88d-c234327.jpg" width="1000" height="1562" alt="A nude woman photographed in a lake, early 20th century" title="This card, published by the A Noyer Studios, was part of series of a woman in a river and illustrates Julian Mandel’s skill as a photographer. He uses light, shade, and reflection to make the most of his model and to make it a work of art. (© Courtesy of Sands of Time Consultancy)" /> Nigel Sadler is the author of Erotic Postcards of the Early Twentieth Century (Amberley, 2015). Find out more here. This article was first published by History Extra in August 2015