Children playing in an area of waste ground in Plymouth, 1954(Image: Charles Hewitt/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Plymouth's 1954 transformation: Rare archive photos of post-war rebuild

by · PlymouthLive

In 1954, Plymouth was undergoing reconstruction following severe damage from German bombing raids during the Second World War. A sense of optimism pervaded the city as its landscape transformed, with a new shopping centre emerging, though reminders of the destruction and loss remained visible throughout.

Former bomb sites became makeshift playgrounds for children or observation points for planning future developments. The city's gin and television set manufacturing industries were flourishing, alongside the Royal Navy dockyard, while residents embraced cultural pursuits, theatre performances and evenings spent dancing.

These moments were documented in a remarkable photographic collection by Charles Hewitt for Picture Post's 1954 series, The Best And Worst Of British Cities. Charles, who had served with the Army Film and Photographic Unit during the war and witnessed key offensives in 1944 and 1945, subsequently focused his lens on post-war Britain's cities.

He went on to work for the BBC's Tonight programme.

Prams parked up outside a Woolworth's store in Plymouth which remains mostly boarded up after the war

Prams parked up outside a Woolworth's store in Plymouth which remains mostly boarded up after the war(Image: Charles Hewitt/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Children playing in an area of waste ground in Plymouth, 1954

Children playing in an area of waste ground in Plymouth, 1954(Image: Charles Hewitt/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

An inspection of HMS Drake's crew at Devonport, 1954

An inspection of HMS Drake's crew at Devonport, 1954(Image: Charles Hewitt/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Two boys walk towards Devonport Guildhall, 1954

Two boys walk towards Devonport Guildhall, 1954(Image: Charles Hewitt/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)