Wednesday 9 November 2011

King's Road Today



Here are some photos my girlfriend and myself recently took on King's Road. Unfortunately, these days, it looks just like any other street in London - full of high street shops and soulless gastro pubs.As we were walking around, we were trying to imagine how amazing this place it once must have been....

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Michael Chaplin and Nigel Weymouth outside Granny Takes a Trip (488 King's Road) in 1966.



Yours truly, same place, November 2011


Granny Takes a Trip, 1967


Granny takes a Trip, 1968


 Granny's former location, November 2011. If my girlfriend had been there in 1968, she would have blended into the yellow background.


At present, 488 King's Road is a home to a bespoke Italian chandelier shop.


Freddie Hornick and Alan Holston outside Dandie Fashions (161 King's Road) in 1967.


Me on 161 King's Road, November 2011. Now it is a location of lovely, small photo gallery. The subject of their current exhibition is Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick and The Factory in 1960's.



Still from the film "Blow-Up", 1966. David Hemmings goes to meet his agent a restaurant on Blacklands Terrace, off King's Road.


Same place today. The building had acquired few windows and extra floor, but it's still a restaurant.


Still from "Blow Up" (1966) - Dedicated Followers of Fashion on Culford Gardens, off King's Road.


Dedicated follower of 60's fashion in the same place, November 2011.

Ok, this has nothing to do with King's Road, but since I'm posting photos of myself I might as well include photos of  me and my girlfriend taken during NUTs Brighton Mod Weekender in August by photographer Kim Tonelli.





12 comments:

Su_Tune said...

Nice! I always enjoy those "then and now" kind of photos. Good to see you are keeping the 60s look alive! I got to visit King's Road back in '89 and '90 but don't remember if anything cool was still there.

Unknown said...

At least Mr Freedom still rocks as Vivienne Westwood's World's End! ;) Other than that, yes it's really rather disappointing. I've still got one eye out to spot Bryan Ferry or Nick Rhodes wandering around though....

Peter said...

Yes, we couldn't take a good photo of 430 King's Road because of scaffolding....in the 1960's it was a home to Hung On You , Mr. Freedom, Paradise Garage and then of course Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren moved in....it's hard to believe that this tiny and rather unimpressive looking shop is such an important place in British fashion history.
I thought that the clothes in Vivienne Westwood's World's End were quite dreadful - they looked almost like a parody of her designs from 70's.

Leah said...

I, too, really enjoyed this "then and now" post! I absolutely adore London, but I can't imagine how fantastic the city must have been in the 1960s! Also love the photos of you and your girl from the Mod Weekender! Keep rockin' the '60s look!

Lena said...

Ah it just doesn't compare to its heyday. I have to admit, I never ever go to King's Road - there's nothing interesting there.

Oh and love your girlfriend's psychedlic dress, brilliant!

Wilthomer said...

Brilliant "then and now" photo essay!

Psychedelicsister said...

LOve this post.

Rebecca said...

The best thing about your photos is seeing you in them; I hope the people around there that day appreciated the effort you put into haunting them! As a Blow Up fanatic I thank you! We really should all put on our finest clobber and take back the streets from the junior gang wannabe yobs and boring goth metal vampire clones.

Lucia said...

Hi, fantastic photos ! Just want to say thanks for your blog comment, I have only just found it as for some reason me email had sorted it into my 'junk' section so I never got the comment. I had no idea there were such great 60's focused nightclubs in London, thanks for all the reccomendations - I'll DEFINITELY be checking them out as soon as I can !

http://whothefuckismickjagger.blogspot.com

Monkey said...

Love the way you've got the angles close the original pics. Good work.

Peter said...

Thanks everybody for the nice comments!

Gill Evans said...

Love this post, and all the photo's & the ones of you are great. My husband & I are Original Modernists.