Ladders Collection

LCC-LFB Tooley Street fire station and its crews
Built in 1879, and located at 165 Tooley Street, this station remained operational until 1928 when the new Dockhead fire station was opened and the engines and crews transferred there

LCC-LFB Shoreditch fire station, City of London
Built in 1895, station B27, Shoreditch fire station, was located at 140 Tabernacle Street, near Old Street, City of London. The stations spare escape ladder is parked on the station forecourt

Middlesex Fire Brigade in the London Fire Brigade area
Mutual assistance took place where a nearby fire brigade would attend a fire in the London Fire Brigade area, or vice-versa

LCC-LFB Merryweather self-propelled Fire King pump
First introduced into the UK by Merryweather of Greenwich, SE London, in 1899, by 1907 twenty-one Fire Kings were in operational use around the country, including the London Fire Brigade

View from the harbour, Dartmouth, Devon. Date: circa 1950s

Blitz in London -- St Bride Street, Farringdon Street, WW2
Blitz in London -- St Bride Street and Farringdon Street, with firefighters at work in a smoky atmosphere and pedestrians walking by

Major fire in Wandsworth Road, Clapham SW8
London firefighters and the London Salvage Corps (in the long coats) at the scene of a fire involving shops and dwellings in Wandsworth Road, Clapham, SW8, on 9 September 1959

LCC-LFB Serious house fire in Notting Hill
Firefighters using the 50 foot wheeled escape ladder to gain access to the upper floors of this terraced house affected by a serious blaze in Notting Hill, West London

LCC-LFB Recruit fireman training at Brigade HQ, SE1
During the 1950s recruit firefighters were trained at the Brigade Headquarters, Lambeth. Here a fireman is undertaking a hook ladder drill on the stations nine-storey drill tower

LCC-LFB Recruit firefighters training at Brigade HQ SE1
During the 1950s recruit firefighters were trained at the Brigade Headquarters in Lambeth. Here they are undertaking hook ladder drills on the stations nine-storey drill tower

Tottenham Hotspur team pose for a group photograph at White Hart Lane March 1961

Londons ever - improving transport system carries its works programme a step further when the Minister of Transport opens the new Central Line extension from Leytonstone to Woodford

18th century fire engines
Various early fire engines and firefighting equipment from the 18th century Date: 18th century

LCC-LFB enclosed pump at Lambeth fire station
Pictured at Brigade Headquarters, Lambeth SE1, an example of an 1930 enclosed London pump with carried breathing apparatus

LCC-LFB Euston fire station
Opened in 1902, and originally only having two engine bays, Euston fire stations appliances and crews pose for a photograph by the extended five bay station on its forecourt in the Euston Road

LCC-LFB Dual purpose pump escape at Lambeth HQ
A Dennis F7 pump escape at Lambeth HQ, a classic postwar fire engine newly in service in London

LCC-LFB Leyland Metz 100 foot turntable ladder
Lambeths (D61) turntable ladder at its base station, displayed in the Brigade headquarters drill yard

Sub-station with taxis and crews, WW2
A typical London Fire Brigade sub-station watch and their equipment. Taxis were used as makeshift fire engines which towed trailer pumps

NFS 60ft hand-operated turntable ladder, WW2
An Austin K4-Merryweather 60 foot hand-operated turntable ladder (TL). A total of 50 such appliances were built and mounted on Austin K4 chassis for the Home Office between 1942 and 1943

People on a ladder
Mr and Mrs Ambrose Manning and Mr and Mrs Walter Passmore on a ladder, 1901 Date: 1901

Inside Shackletons Hut
The interior of the hut of Ernest Shackleton (1907-9), which has been preserved in exactly the same state as left by Shackleton Date: 2005

NFS fire engines at Wembley
National Fire Service fire engines at Wembley

Fishing boats in the harbour, Fowey, Cornwall
Fishing boats in the picturesque harbour at Fowey, Cornwall. Date: circa 1980s

LFDCA-LFB Vintage fire engine at Clapham fire station
A former Middlesex Fire Brigade pump escape at Clapham fire station. Middlesex was absorbed into the enlarged London Fire Brigade in 1965 with the creation of the Greater London Council

The Bonzo Chase board game
Box lid design for the Bonzo Chase board game, a thrilling version of snakes and ladders where Bonzo, the doggy creation of George Studdy

LFDCA-LFB Volvo dual purpose diesel pump ladder
Pictured on Blackheath in SE London, the pump ladder from Greenwich fire station

Blitz in London -- Saffron Hill, WW2
Blitz in London -- men at work in Saffron Hill, City of London, 26 October 1940. Date: 1940

Major fire in Wandsworth Road, Clapham SW8
London firefighters and the London Salvage Corps (in the long coats) at the scene of a fire involving shops and dwellings in Wandsworth Road, Clapham, SW8, on 9 September 1959. Date: 1959

Ladder after repair in workshops, Lambeth HQ
Ladder (No.13 TTL) after repair in workshops, Lambeth HQ

GLC-LFB ERF diesel pump-escape fire engine
The ERF pump escape attached to Millwall fire station, the latest addition to the Brigades appliance fleet

NFS-London Region 50ft wheeled escape ladder, WW2
An Ajax style wheeled escape ladder, wound out in its carriage, from Fire Force Area 34 Acton fire station (E1Z) located at 24 Gunnersbury Lane, Acton, West London

Pouch Cove, Newfoundland - Fishing Stages. A fishing stage is a wooden vernacular building, associated with cod fishing in Newfoundland, Canada

Firefighters climbing wheeled escape ladders
Firefighters demonstrating various lengths of wheeled escape ladders

Fire engine with crew, Southgate, North London, WW1
Fire engine with crew -- SDFB, Southgate District Council fire service. The date on the vehicle is 1914. The motor escape was made by Lloyd and Plaister, Wood Green, in 1912, and was used until 1924

Steam engine with crew, Southgate, North London
Steam-driven fire engine with crew -- SDFB, Southgate District Council fire service. The date on the vehicle is 1894. The driver standing on the appliance is D Gibbons. Third from right is G Walton

AFS regional training exercise, journey through London
AFS regional training exercise in Norfolk, 10-11 September 1955. Showing vehicles in London, passing Marble Arch en route for their destination

LCC-LFB horse drawn 75ft turntable ladder (TL)
Shand Mason (Blackfriars) supplied the London Fire Brigade with this hand operated 75 foot turntable ladder on a four wheel horse drawn carriage

LCC-LFB Serious office fire, Farringdon Street EC4
Two turntable ladders deployed at an office building fire in Farringdon Street, City of London, 16 November 1934

LCC-LFB Dual purpose appliances (pump escape)
Introduced into the London Fire Brigade in 1934, dual purpose appliances meant that the ladders the fire engines carried were interchangeable

LCC-LFB Major fire at Prudential Insurance Building
Massive crowds gather to watch the London Fire Brigade fight the fire in the Prudential Assurance Company building located in High Holborn WC1, 16 June 1932

LCC-LFB - North Kensington fire station
The firefighters from North Kensington fire station, Faraday Road, W10, pose on the station forecourt on their pump escape and pump

Major fire in Wandsworth Road, Clapham SW8
London firefighters and the London Salvage Corps (in the long coats) at the scene of a fire involving shops and dwellings in Wandsworth Road, Clapham, SW8, on 9 September 1959

LCC-LFB Recruit firemen training at Brigade HQ, SE1
During the 1950s recruit firefighters were trained at the Brigade Headquarters, Lambeth

West Ham Fire Brigade
A manual horse drawn fire pump belonging to West Ham Fire Brigade with a Victorian fire crew

LCC-LFB in action at warehouse blaze
Two turntable ladders brought into action at a major warehouse fire with an LCC ambulance standing by in the foreground

LCC-LFB Magirus (screw) 100ft turntable ladder
An example of the Dennis Morris Magirus turntable ladder in its fire station appliance room

LFB turntable ladders in use at Hackney fire
Firefighters in action at Messrs Woolf, a furniture store in Hackney, East London

London Salvage Corps at work with salvage sheets
The London Salvage Corps were financed by the Insurance Companies and were not part of the London Fire Brigade

Fire station drill, hook ladder and 50 foot escape ladder
Regular training continued at all London fire stations during WW2, though it was unusual for a sub-station to have a drill tower

Fire Station at Quarriers Homes, Bridge Of Weir
Fire station, fire engine, ladders and uniformed firemen at the Quarriers childrens homes, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire

Cornish tin mining, 19th century
Cornish tin mining, 19th-century artwork. Miners working in a shaft in a tin mine in Cornwall, UK. Many such excavations were near the coast and extended out under the sea for nearly a kilometre

The Great Train Robbery- commando raid frees train robber
Front page of The Illustrated London News reporting on the latest episode in the Great Train Robbery saga

Superstitions
An interesting instance of the popular aversion to walking under a ladder

Dennis fire engine with crew
A Dennis fire engine with crew in cork helmets

Firefighters in action in Commercial Road, East London
Firefighters in action with hosepipes at business premises, 81/85 Commercial Road, East London, 18 June 1957

LFB Athletic Association Boxing Tournament programme
LFB Athletic Association Members Boxing Tournament programme for 19 November 1925

LCC-LFB battery-electric pump-escape at Southwark
An early electric wheeled escape ladder vehicle, Cedes battery-driven pump/50ft escape, based at Bow fire station, seen here in the drill yard at Southwark Headquarters

LCC-LFB battery-electric pump-escape at Southwark HQ
An early electric wheeled ladder escape vehicle, a Cedes battery-driven pump/50 foot escape, based at Bow fire station, seen here in the drill yard of Southwark Headquarters

LCC-MFB Brixton fire station, Stockwell, SW London
Brixton fire station, located in Shepherds Lane, Ferndale Road, Brixton, built in 1867

LCC-LFB Motorised pump escape at Southwark HQ
The pump escape of No 1 station, the Brigade Headquarters fire station located at Southwark Bridge Road SE1

GLC-LFB - Turntable Ladder at Brigade HQ
The GLC-LFB was created on 1 April 1965. A series of photos was commissioned of each type of fire engine, either within or absorbed into the enlarged London Fire Brigade

LCC-LFB Dennis dual-purpose pump-escape
The Dennis dual-purpose pump-escape from D66 station Brixton (Gresham Road, SW4), pictured on Lambeth Bridge

The Christmas tradition in England is stronger than the crisis (colour litho)
2778113 The Christmas tradition in England is stronger than the crisis (colour litho) by Beltrame

Picking orange flowers for making perfume
People picking orange flowers for the manufacture of perfume on the Cote d Azur, France. Date: circa 1905

Firefighters in action with hosepipes, Shad Thames, SE1
Firefighters in action with hosepipes at night, at a fire in Shad Thames, 19 February 1958, at the premises of Corry & Co, showing the Gainsford Street/Maguire Street corner of the building

London firefighters at work in Hampstead High Street
London firefighters at work outside a Woolworths building in Hampstead High Street, north-west London (11 May 1946)

East End Woman scared of dog making her to walk under ladder
" You never know you Luck." " Hi! Come back, yer Silly! Do yer want to spile yer Luck?" Date: 1892

Cherry picking at a farm near Gravesend in Kent June 1946

Firefighter adjusting turntable ladder mechanism

LFB Dennis dual-purpose pump, Lambeth HQ
Lambeths (D61) pump at its base station, on display in Brigade headquarters drill yard. Side mounted pump outlets together with hose-reel tubing and two hook ladders can be seen

LFB Dennis dual-purpose pump, Lambeth HQ
Lambeths (D61) pump at its base station, on display in Brigade headquarters drill yard. Side mounted pump outlets together with hose-reel tubing and two hook ladders can be seen

LCC-LFB vehicle repair workshops, Lambeth HQ
The London Fire Brigade vehicle repair and maintenance workshops located within the extensive headquarters complex in Lambeth, SE1

LCC-LFB Vehicle and equipment workshops complex
The Headquarters complex at Lambeth SE1 had extensive vehicle and equipment workshops. Maintenance, repair and restoration work could be undertaken by highly skilled mechanics and craftsmen

NFS-London Region 100ft turntable with pump, WW2
A Merryweather turntable ladder fitted with an integral fire pump that feeds the monitor at the head of the ladder and therefore does not require a separate pumping appliance to feed it

Wheeled escape ladder vehicle of the London Fire Brigade

London Fire Brigade turntable ladder
A London Fire Brigade turntable ladder

Siege of Duras 1377
The French lay siege to the town of Duras, storming the walls with scaling-ladders while artillerymen bombard the walls with mortars, bowmen with crossbows

Burning of the City Hall, New York, on the night of the 17th August 1858 (colour litho)
NYH192081 Burning of the City Hall, New York, on the night of the 17th August 1858 (colour litho) by Currier, N. (1813-88) and Ives, J.M

Steam engine with crew, Southgate, North London
Steam-driven fire engine with crew -- SDFB, Southgate District Council fire service. The date on the vehicle is 1894. The driver standing on the appliance is D Gibbons. Third from right is G Walton

LCC- MFB Blackheath fire station
Blackheath fire station, located at Brigade Street, Tranquil Vale, SE3 (very near the Mary Evans Picture Library), with the escape ladder stored at the side

LFDCA-LFB Vintage fire engine in a Clapham street
A former Middlesex Fire Brigade pump escape which was visiting Clapham fire station

Sky City, Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico, United States of America, North America

Military Firemen - Turkish
Turkish Military Firemen in their uniforms

JUSTICE CLEANED UP
Cleaning up British Justice

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EDITORS COMMENTS

"Ladders: The Backbone of London's Firefighters" From the iconic LCC-LFB Tooley Street fire station to the brave crews battling a serious house fire in Notting Hill, they have always played a vital role in firefighting. Whether it's providing a breathtaking view from the harbour in Dartmouth, Devon or being an essential tool for recruit firefighters training at Brigade HQ SE1, these sturdy structures are indispensable. During the Blitz in London, ladders became lifelines as they were deployed on St Bride Street and Farringdon Street to rescue those trapped amidst the chaos of World War II. The NFS 60ft hand-operated turntable ladder proved its worth during this time, reaching unimaginable heights to save lives. Even after wartime challenges, major fires like the one on Wandsworth Road in Clapham SW8 continued to test both firefighters and their trusty dual-purpose pump escape stationed at Lambeth HQ. As London's ever-improving transport system carried its works programme forward, ladders remained an integral part of ensuring public safety. The LCC-LFB enclosed pump at Lambeth fire station stood tall as a symbol of preparedness while Shoreditch fire station served as a beacon of hope within City of London. These locations witnessed countless instances where they were raised high above ground level to combat raging flames and bring people back from danger. In every corner of this bustling city, whether it be Tooley Street or Notting Hill, Dartmouth or SE1 headquarters - ladders stand ready for action. They represent bravery and resilience; they embody the unwavering commitment of our firefighters who risk their lives daily to protect us all. So next time you see a ladder soaring towards new heights remember that behind it lies an extraordinary story filled with courage and dedication.