Currently not on view
In a Disused Tube Tunnel, Autumn,
1940
Bill Brandt, British, 1904–1983
2002-400
Starting on September 7, 1940, and lasting eleven weeks, German bombers flew over London in an effort to subdue the British into surrender. The Blitz forced civilians to flee to rural areas or to shelter in caves in the outskirts of London or, most notably, in underground tunnels of the city’s tube system. By mid-September, more than 150,000 people were seeking refuge in the tunnels during the raids. Brandt was hired by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Information to document this underground life. Using photoflood bulbs, he captured occupants while they were asleep; the seeming lifelessness of the figures creates a tension between the shelter as a place of both protection and potential death.
Information
Title
In a Disused Tube Tunnel, Autumn
Dates
1940
Maker
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
19.1 x 16.5 cm. (7 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Michael D. Francis
Object Number
2002-400
Inscription
Stamped in ink, verso lower center: PHOTO BILL BRANDT
Inscribed in pencil, verso lower center: in a disused Tube tunnel, / Autumn 1940
Inscribed in pencil, verso bottom center: FRANCES [encircled]
Various editorial and cropping instructions inscribed in blue pencil across verso.
Culture
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