Love 'em or hate 'em, pigeons are part of living in London. To mark National Pigeon Day (which is an actual thing, and definitely not something we've invented), the Museum of London released some historical photos of the winged critters delights around the capital from its archives.
The pictures were mainly taken by London photographer Henry Grant (who also captured these lovely shots of festive London). The freelance photojournalist shot entirely in black and white, and specialised in photos of London from the end of the second world war to the 1970s. Museum of London purchased his archive of 80,000 photographs in 1986.
Unsurprisingly, Trafalgar Square features heavily in the photo series — don't forget, these were the days before Ken Livingstone banned feeding the flying rats in 2003. Pigeons and people jostle for space. In another shot, taken in 1957, a snowy Trafalgar Square is abandoned, save for a flock of pigeons, overseen by one of the quartet of Landseer lions.
London's pigeons, and its other animal residents, both past and present, are the subject of the current Beasts of London exhibition at Museum of London. The show includes a giant pigeon made from parts of London black cabs. Find out more and book tickets.
