Rare Color Photos of 1928 England

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, photographer Clifton R. Adams was commissioned by National Geographic to record the everyday life of the people of England. Adams was able to capture the moments in color using the Autochrome process.

The authochrome technique was the most popular color photographic process at the time. It’s core ingredient? Potatoes.

Check out the resulting color photos below...

 
A policeman directing traffic in the intersection of Trafalgar Square, London.

IMAGE: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS

 
An English woman pointing pridefully to her farm cart, in Cambridgeshire, England. Wicks of Wisbech constructed horse-drawn caravans used by Romany families traveling throughout Britain.

Photo: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS

 
An informal portrait of a farmer and his cart, in Crowland, Lincolnshire. Decoy Farm is now the site of a recycling centre and a housing estate.

Photo: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS

 
A police constable passes the day with farmers gathering hay, in Lancashire.

Photo: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS

 
Two women resting for lunch in a Lancashire hayfield.

Photo: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS

A young girl playing in the sand at Sandown, Isle of Wight.

Photo: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS

 
Actors dress for a pageant as Britannia and her knights.

Photo: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS

The characters of Britannia and her colonies and dependencies, in Southampton, Hampshire.

Photo: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS

 
Two women buying ice cream from a vendor out of his converted car, in Cornwall. Kelly's ice cream is still in production today.

Photo: CLIFTON R. ADAMS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS