What it means to be British: a photo exhibition about the daily life of the islands since the 1920s

The photo exhibition "Ideal of Life: Photographing Class, Culture and Identity in Modern Britain" (An Ideal for Living: Photographing Class, Culture and Identity in Modern Britain) opens in London, where you can meet all the most typical realities of British reality — from tattooed punks to protesters crowding the streets of London. The vivid images explore habits, styles and occupations against the backdrop of the political and social instability that plagued Britain in the 20th century, in an attempt to define what is British identity. Among the exhibits there are works by photographers from the 1920s to the present day.

(14 photos in total)

Source: Daily Mail

1981, arrests during the riots in Brixton, London, photographer — Neil Libbert.

The oldest photographs in the exhibition are photographs of Bill Brandt and E.O. Hoppe from the period between the two World Wars. The images touch on the social stratification of the time: miners, maids and gentlemen in their homes, on the streets and at work. One of the photos shows the celebrations for the coronation of George IV in 1937. In the pictures that make up the exposition, you can also find the rebellious spirit of the 1960s. Frank Habicht's photographs reflect revolutionary fashion, design and political activism. These pictures contrast with the works of John Ballmer of the same years, where you can see representatives of the working class in the north of England. Meanwhile, photographs from the same decade by Charlie Phillips document the integration of black communities into British cities and settlements.

1965, "Factory girls, Elland, Yorkshire" (Mill Girls, Elland, Yorkshire).

The social stratification and conflicts that largely defined the period of the 1970s and 1980s are also shown in this exhibition. The pictures depict the riots in Brixton in 1981, the battle of Lewisham and other events of those years. The development of the counterculture that defined the youth can be seen in photos with punks and skinheads, as well as bullied Cambridge students celebrating the end of the session. The most recent images explore social identity in modern Britain through photographs of today's everyday life of Britons both in rural areas and in cities. The exhibition will last until September 17.

2001, a picnic in the parking lot on Derby day in Epsom.

1967, "The Couple from Notting Hill" (Notting Hill couple), photographer — Charlie Phillips.

1960, the life of British youth.

1983, punk Tuynol Barry with a tattoo on his forehead with a line from a song by the Sex Pistols.

1933, a schoolboy and a schoolgirl with a luggage cart are waiting for a train at Paddington Station in London.

1965, a child from a Welsh mining settlement, photographer — Bruce Davidson.

1979, Bevin Fagan, nicknamed Buggy in Hackney, photographer — Sid Shelton.

1978, disco in Wolverhampton.

1985, the girl behind the counter of an ice cream stand in Brighton.

1983, celebration at the annual May Ball at Cambridge University, photographer — Jurgen Schadeberg.

1973, "A Soldier looks through a shield", Northern Ireland, photographer — Philip Jones Griffiths.

2008, Blaenai Ffestiniog, Gwyneth, Wales.