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Amazing vintage photos show the eclectic life of Soho through the decades

These fascinating vintage pictures journey back through the decades in one of London’s most dynamic neighbourhoods.

A series of black and white images capture a glimpse of Londoners in Soho from the early 20th century through to the late 1980s.

Now renowned as one of the capital’s major entertainment districts, Soho was originally fashionable among the aristocracy until an outbreak of cholera in 1854.

Throughout the 20th Century, the area grew a reputation for night life and the sex industry, and also became the main location for leading film companies.

25th November 1933: Berwick Street Market in Soho (Getty Images)
25th November 1933: Berwick Street Market in Soho (Getty Images)

From a 1930s market on Berwick Street to fashion on Carnaby Street, these pictures show Soho’s evolution towards the area Londoners know today.

Soho has undergone considerable gentrification in the past three decades and is now filled with upmarket restaurant, big retail brands and media giants.

In photos that go back as far as 1919, couples can be seen waltzing at Murray’s Club on Beak Street.

One photo, taken during the Sixties, shows young people queueing for the Tiles Club, a nightclub with “Disco Nite”, beside artist listings pinned up as posters outside.

Historic celebrities such as John Lennon and Muhammad Ali are also pictured on the area's main roads, including Wardour Street.

Another side of Soho’s history is captured with a image showing a group chatting on Gerrard Street in Chinatown in 1971.