Removal of Rubble from the Houses of Parliament

From 1940 to 1941 the Houses of Parliament were damaged by air raids on 14 different occasions. The worst destruction occurred on the night of the 10 to 11 May 1941, when the House of Commons chamber was destroyed.

Vivian Charles Hardingham was employed by HM Ministry of Works to create a series of artworks documenting the aftermath of the air raid. This work captures the hard labour of clearing the rubble and debris from the ruined chamber.

The rebuilding of the chamber took many years. The new space was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who was guided by Churchill's insistence that the space remain laid out as opposing sides, and without designated seats. Churchill believed the Chamber should be adversarial, stating 'we shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us'. The new chamber was used for the first time in October 1950.

To learn more about Parliament and World War Two through objects in our Heritage Collections, visit our online exhibition: The London Blitz and the Palace of Westminster.

Image: © Unknown/JSW Pictures, Parliamentary Art Collection WOA 2790