London Life, 1965-1966

Launched in 1965, London Life was one of several titles owned by The Illustrated London News (ILN). A reincarnation of The Tatler (1901-1965) – which, from its inception, had catered primarily to a wealthy and conservative readership – London Life represented a radical departure from its predecessor. This new magazine endeavored to "reflect all aspects of the life of London" and, throughout its brief existence, it successfully conveyed the spirit of the "Swinging Sixties" in the world’s "capital of cool". Encompassing nearly 5,000 images, this collection contains all 63 issues of London Life, published between October 1965 and December of the following year.

London Life covers a wide range of topics, from music and film to sexuality and the thriving nightlife of London’s West End. At the same time, it captures the increasingly cosmopolitan nature of British society, documenting the emergence of a more diverse media landscape and audience. Featuring interviews with cultural icons such as Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger, as well as contributions from rising stars such as supermodel Jean Shrimpton and entertainer Anita Harris, London Life remains emblematic of 1960s counterculture. Accordingly, this collection contains essential material for researchers and students of cultural history and, specifically, of Britain’s cultural revolution.

The swinging sixties came alive as a period of prosperity a time when anything and everything seemed possible

Annie Tyrell, Director of Design at John Marks from 1963 to 1982

Insights

In Britain, the 1960s were an era of profound social and cultural transformation. The decade saw significant changes in gender relations, civil rights, and fashion, as well as attitudes towards sex, radical politics, and the role of the media in daily life.

Under the editorship of Mark Boxer (cartoonist and founding editor of The Sunday Times), London Life encapsulated both the fashionable and the bohemian of 1960s London. At the London Life party in May 1966, guests included well-known celebrities such as actor Jane Asher, Rolling Stones front-man Mick Jagger, and artist David Hockney.

By the mid-twentieth century, Britain was becoming a more cosmopolitan country. London Life reflects the increasingly multicultural nature of British society at this time, not only revealing the diversity of the capital’s restaurant scene, but also highlighting the formation of a new media audience, with references to TV and radio stations aimed explicitly at South Asian viewers and listeners.

With the rise of the consumer society, advertising not only became more prominent, but also more creative. This collection provides valuable insights into the "Ad Revolution" of the 1960s, featuring iconic adverts for major brands such as Chanel, Cartier, Harrods, Mercedes, and Sony, as well as the tobacco and alcohol industries.

Designer Anne Tyrell suggests that, in the 1960s, "the atmosphere of the period was faithfully reflected in fashion, epitomising the very spirit of the age". Accordingly, London Life dutifully kept its readership up-to-date with the latest trends, and supermodel Jean Shrimpton – an exemplar of "Swinging London" – contributed to various issues of the magazine, writing about both fashion and food.

With articles covering a variety of social issues, such as urban poverty, teenage pregnancy, and mental health, London Life not only depicts the glamour of the 1960s: it also reveals the inequality and discrimination that persisted in British society. For example, in an article on 9th October 1965, novelist V. S. Naipaul described the exclusionary aspects of the new "capital of cool", and the oppressive qualities of the modern city.

Highlights

Document

"Girl Talk"

Document

"Motorists’ Entertainment Guide"

Document

"What To Do with a Child at Christmas"

Document

"A Doll Called Samantha"

British Print Media, 1860s–1960s

The Transforming Effect of the 1960s

Guide to British Illustrated Periodicals, 1869–1970

Editorial Board

Adrian Bingham Professor of Modern British History Adrian's main research interests are in the political, social and cultural history of twentieth-century Britain. He has worked extensively on the national popular press in the decades after 1918, examining the ways in which newspapers both reflected and shaped British society and culture.

Mark Donnelly Course Lead BA History and MA Public History Mark Donnelly is Associate Professor and Course Lead for History at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London. His books include Sixties Britain: Culture, Politics and Society, Liberating Histories, which he co-wrote with Claire Norton, and the edited volume Mad Dogs and Englishness: Popular Music and English Identities. He has published numerous articles and essays in the fields of history theory, public history, memory and contemporary cultural politics.