Brandt goes back to his signature “photographing of life” once the war is over in London. However, the psychology of London has definitely taken a shift since the beginning of the war when comradery surged through the people. What’s left after the war is hardened people who were forced into a war that they didn’t want. The constant bombing by the Germans has left the city of London in shambles. Thousands of refugees flood into Britain during the war which creates a large amount of cultural blending. Pubs were a historically good place for people to gather with one another and relieve themselves after reconstructing the war. The reconstruction efforts in London were arduous and mostly left to people of middle and lower-class laborers. Judging by the clothing of those in the picture, it’s fair to assume that they would be working at the docks near Charlie Brown’s pub. The man on the left’s stare is longing and almost searching for release in a difficult time in London’s history. However, there was some excitement from the end of the war like the man on the right who found himself a “lady friend.” Brandt does a fantastic job at capturing the blend of emotions in a pub where the emotions of people are worn right on their faces. 

I wanted to tell you about these five events of At Charlie Brown’s Pub, 1945 to help you understand the environment of the pub, the artistic process of Bill Brandt, and to get a better idea of the effect of WWII on the people of London.  Brandt has always been fantastic at capturing moments, but his images do take intricate staging. Everything in his photographs serves a purpose as he seems to manipulate each frame in the way that he wants. The pub itself represents a safe haven for people after the war to just release as it had always done for people before. The specific photographs and pictures on the wall have no cohesive origin, but they show the spirit of Charlie Brown’s amalgamation of culture. Brandt’s skill in photography is incredible, but he never takes away from the humanistic element. While subsequent photographers, like Man Ray, attempted to take eye-catching or odd photographs of surrealistic scenes, Brandt stayed grounded in reality and wanted to capture the essence of day-to-day life. To this day, his pictures serve as a time capsule to the past the time was simple before the war, time was uncertain and scary during the war, and time was hard but full of relief. Both of the men in the picture represent the horrors of the war, but there were happier times ahead. Brandt is a magician with a camera and has been able to create art that evokes emotion in the viewer. Whether he wants to scare the audience or leave them in awe, Brandt’s special ability has allowed him to remain relevant throughout history. 

Sources: 

“Bill Brandt Biography.” Victoria and Albert Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 27 Apr. 2004, https://web.archive.org/web/20100519133457/http://www.vam.ac.uk/collecti....

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Bill Brandt.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-Brandt.

“Mystery of the Charlie Brown Roundabout.” Go Britannia! Travel Guide: London's East End - Mystery of the Charlie Brown Roundabout, https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192101/http://www.britannia.com/trav....

Pictures Cited (IN ORDER): 

"The One & Only Charle Brown." Isle of Dogs LIfe, n.d., https://isleofdogslife.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/charlie-brown-the-king-of-limehouse/. Accessed 2 April 2023. 

Ray, Man. "Self-Portrait." Getty Museum, 1931, https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/104E4H. Accessed 3 April 2023. 

Brandt, Bill. "Street Scene, London, 1936." National Gallery of Art, 1936, https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.93394.html. Accessed 3 April 2023. 

Brandt, Bill. "St. Paul's Cathedral in the Moonlight." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1939, Bill Brandt | St. Paul's Cathedral in the MoonlightThe Metropolitan Museum of Arthttps://www.metmuseum.org. Accessed 3 April 2023. 

Brandt, Bill. "At Charlie Brown's pub, Limehouse, 1945." Bill Brandt Archive, 1945, https://www.billbrandt.com/bill-brandt-archive-print-shop/sp10-at-charley-browns-pub-limehouse-1945.  Accessed 28 March 2023.