The swinging sixties came alive as a period of prosperity a time when anything and everything seemed possibleDirector of Design at John Marks from 1963 to 1982
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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, catered primarily to a wealthy and conservative readership—London Life represented a radical departure from its predecessor. This new magazine endeavoured to "reflect all aspects of the life of London". Throughout its brief existence, it proved adept at conveying 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 covered a wide range of topics, from music and film to sexuality and the thriving nightlife of London’s West End. It likewise captured 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 the supermodel, Jean Shrimpton, and the popular entertainer, Anita Harris, London Life remains emblematic of 1960s counterculture. This collection contains essential material for those interested in the cultural history of the 1960s and, more specifically, in Britain’s cultural revolution and the advent of its "permissive society".
The task of this magazine is to reflect all aspects of the life of London
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16th October 1965:
Images 47-48 of this issue feature an interview between writer Nell Dunn (author of Up the Junction and Poor Cow) and Kathy Collier (a young factory-worker), they delve into the lived experiences of working-class women in London, addressing themes such as work, mental health, teenage pregnancy, marriage, and homosexuality.
9th October 1965:
Illustrating the diversity of London’s restaurant scene, and the variety of nightlife available to the more affluent Londoners, this guide (images 46-48) also reveals the increasing presence of cars on the capital’s streets in the mid-1960s.
18th December 1965:
In keeping with its desire to "reflect all aspects of the life of London", the magazine not only produced content for single adults, but also for those with families. In this article (images 28-29), London Life gives parents some useful tips about how to create the perfect Christmas experience for their children.
12th November 1966:
Contributors to London Life regularly portrayed the hedonism of the city’s club scene. Encapsulating some of the key themes of 1960s counterculture (psychedelia, sex, and science fiction), this article (image 17) discusses the capital’s "first psychedelic club" which, its owner hoped, would replicate the experience of taking hallucinogenic drugs.
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.
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.
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