Johnny Eagle, Tower Hill, London 1970

A crowd gathers on the cobbles at Tower Hill in 1970 to watch Johnny Eagle, the well-known escapologist and street performer who became a familiar figure here throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Trussed up in ropes and lying motionless on the ground, he would draw in tourists, office workers and passers-by before launching into his dramatic escape routine — usually accompanied by humour, patter and a touch of showmanship. Tower Hill was a natural stage for performers like Eagle, its wide open spaces and steady footfall offering ideal conditions for London’s mid-century street-entertainment scene. This photograph captures both the anticipation of the audience and a colourful slice of everyday London street life at the dawn of the 1970s.