Leicester Square, London 1969

This authentic 1960s colour photograph captures the dazzling neon landscape of Leicester Square at the height of its cinematic glory in 1969. The Empire Ritz dominates the scene, featuring a massive hoarding for the screening of “Gone With The Wind” in “70mm wide-screen splendour,” alongside a smaller sign for “Where Eagles Dare.” Adjacent to the cinema, the “Mecca Dancing” marquee proudly displays the residency of the Ken Mackintosh band, a staple of the London ballroom scene. Interestingly, the flat hoardings visible here were later removed, revealing a series of ornate stone arches that remain a key architectural feature of the site today. Beneath the glowing lights, fashionable pedestrians including a woman in a vibrant green patterned mini-dress stroll past the entrance of the Jacey cinema. This image perfectly encapsulates the energy of London’s West End during the late sixties transition into the seventies. This digital download is a spectacular record of vintage advertising and nightlife, perfect to print for yourself as a piece of vibrant urban wall art.