Comments on: London Smog, December, 1952 http://www.retronaut.co/2011/04/london-smog-december-1952/ The past is a foreign country. This is your passport. Sat, 19 Nov 2024 04:13:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jinx http://www.retronaut.co/2011/04/london-smog-december-1952/#comment-64335 Jinx Mon, 19 Sep 2024 03:59:38 +0000 http://howtobearetronaut.com/?p=13563#comment-64335 People complain about SoCal smog, but never in my 50 years have I EVER been in smog like THAT! (And NO, the smog in other cities didn't "migrate" there from LA, it's just our CARB laws are VERY stringent, while places like Nevada really aren't - yet!) Amazing pix! People complain about SoCal smog, but never in my 50 years have I EVER been in smog like THAT!

(And NO, the smog in other cities didn’t “migrate” there from LA, it’s just our CARB laws are VERY stringent, while places like Nevada really aren’t – yet!)

Amazing pix!

]]> By: Tony W http://www.retronaut.co/2011/04/london-smog-december-1952/#comment-59428 Tony W Thu, 25 Aug 2024 09:32:43 +0000 http://howtobearetronaut.com/?p=13563#comment-59428 What's a 'moderation'? What’s a ‘moderation’?

]]> By: Tony W http://www.retronaut.co/2011/04/london-smog-december-1952/#comment-59427 Tony W Thu, 25 Aug 2024 09:30:03 +0000 http://howtobearetronaut.com/?p=13563#comment-59427 My wife to be and I spent every evening walking around London in that smog. We both developed coughs which in her case took a couple of years to clear up. Didn't help that we both smoked. I was cycling home one evening on a road I had used all my school days, and I fell of my bike when I ran into the pavement on the WRONG side of the road. Visibility? In effect, nil My wife to be and I spent every evening walking around London in that smog. We both developed coughs which in her case took a couple of years to clear up. Didn’t help that we both smoked. I was cycling home one evening on a road I had used all my school days, and I fell of my bike when I ran into the pavement on the WRONG side of the road. Visibility? In effect, nil

]]> By: Chris http://www.retronaut.co/2011/04/london-smog-december-1952/#comment-49145 Chris Thu, 23 Jun 2024 13:22:59 +0000 http://howtobearetronaut.com/?p=13563#comment-49145 Thank goodness for the clean air act of the 1950's UK. Thank goodness for the clean air act of the 1950′s UK.

]]> By: Louise http://www.retronaut.co/2011/04/london-smog-december-1952/#comment-48499 Louise Sun, 19 Jun 2024 14:20:09 +0000 http://howtobearetronaut.com/?p=13563#comment-48499 Of course, these photos actually show objects in the fog. At its worst you could barely see your hand in front of your face. I was in primary school and at school assembly the kids at the back of the hall couldn't see the headmistress standing at the front. I skinned knees walking home because I didn't see the kerb. The fog stank, our noses were full of black stuff and our clothes filthy at the end of the day. People died. Thank God for the Clean Air Bill banning coal fires. Of course, these photos actually show objects in the fog. At its worst you could barely see your hand in front of your face. I was in primary school and at school assembly the kids at the back of the hall couldn’t see the headmistress standing at the front. I skinned knees walking home because I didn’t see the kerb. The fog stank, our noses were full of black stuff and our clothes filthy at the end of the day. People died. Thank God for the Clean Air Bill banning coal fires.

]]> By: Mark http://www.retronaut.co/2011/04/london-smog-december-1952/#comment-43157 Mark Tue, 19 Apr 2024 17:20:13 +0000 http://howtobearetronaut.com/?p=13563#comment-43157 In part this is why Downing Street is that weird black colour, from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Downing_Street" rel="nofollow">wikipedia article</a>: <blockquote> When builders examined the exterior façade, they discovered that the black colour visible even in photographs from the mid-nineteenth century was misleading; the bricks were actually yellow. The black appearance was the product of two centuries of pollution. To preserve the 'traditional' look of recent times, the newly cleaned yellow bricks were painted black to resemble their well-known appearance. </blockquote> In part this is why Downing Street is that weird black colour, from the wikipedia article:

When builders examined the exterior façade, they discovered that the black colour visible even in photographs from the mid-nineteenth century was misleading; the bricks were actually yellow. The black appearance was the product of two centuries of pollution. To preserve the ‘traditional’ look of recent times, the newly cleaned yellow bricks were painted black to resemble their well-known appearance.

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