Repro ID: H1587
Title: Air-raid shelter in Stalham Street, 1940.
Description: In November 1938, Sir John Anderson was put in charge of Air Raid Precautions (ARP). He commissioned the engineer, William Patterson, to design a small and cheap shelter that could be erected in people's gardens. Within a few months nearly 1.5 million of what became known as Anderson shelters were distributed to people living in areas expected to be bombed. Made from six curved sheets bolted together at the top, with steel plates at either end, and measuring 6ft 6in by 4ft 6in (1.95m by 1.35m) the shelter could accommodate six people. These shelters were half buried in the ground with earth heaped on top. The entrance was protected by a steel shield and an earthen blast wall.
Creator: Unknown
Date: January 1940
Credit line: Southwark Library collection.
