The 1950s

The Britain in Pictures series presents an important collection of images from the Press Association's unique archive, most of which have lain unseen since they were first used in the newspapers of their day. Each book in the Decades series provides a rare insight into life in Britain: not only the major historical events, but also the smaller things that had equal, if not greater significance for ordinary people.

The 1950s found the country making the transition from the past to the future. On its farms oxen ploughed beneath the flight paths of passenger jet aircraft, in its cities people rode to work on trams whose electricity was generated by nuclear power stations, and teenagers emerged for the first time with their own fashion, music and culture.

These stories and many more are pictured in this book with almost 300 images hand-picked from the vast archives of the Press Association.