At the Back of Southwark College in a side street is a sign for the Bert Hardy Darkroom. Bert Hardy was famous in the 1940's and early 50's for documentary and press photography, mostly for the Picture Post magazine. He was born in Blackfriars, and some of his most famous shots were taken in Elephant and Castle.
Most of his famous photographs are of working class conditions, especially from the Gorbals estate in Glasgow.
I think now they look like strange photographs. The ones of street children are comic and kind of sentimental, but they show terrible conditions and poverty.
I've heard that his printer still works there and that he is still printing the images there for exhibitions. Over the summer I'm going to find out when he's there and see if I can get some images inside.
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