“The images shown here were taken over a three year period on the London Underground,” wrote Paul Baldesare. “Returning to London after a three year absence I felt that the Underground had become a microcosm of modern day London with its overcrowding and often tense and claustrophobic environment, dilapidated stations, broken lifts and escalators and patchwork renovation work acting as a backdrop to the overcrowded trains and fitful service.
“These pictures were taken around the time of the King’s Cross disaster – a major underground fire in one of London’s main underground stations which caused multiple deaths and injuries. The threat of fire was not the only safety worry; fear of violence was becoming a real worry or a sizeable minority of travellers, particularly women.
“The discomfort will often show in the body and facial movements of the passengers. Travelling on the underground seems to create a that vacuum of mind and soul. People lie, perch and hang to gain greater comfort from the often stressful journey.”
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwno-OG5s7pUCDRJgIIFt_wa7ZeMKrD4-UiyBUXDoiAT0SdZ5e8RemKYg688JzCOvEfPliy4BEo-nJO6YJWGidi-RvOzCa-qnOpPf3iL8pMeSOfWy9qIL3qKwNopPk7powZvPNjqb_S3YB9IRjh2nPc7ykGrqmV-ipBP729FTB2pQoVgu8bJNj8Ezulw/w640-h400/london-underground-1980s-01.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdMKptgGrw0v4JjQFENkaaQGZ5cNGedy7ZaqxmgxFUbvbvZx06xke_eFOslhnnZIPiszFvz9UKG1KvAAgOol__PEHRtilR0azkdv-qZZljN9wCdrprzpGPAg-PGBBX4Xayi5m1KXEIj8ojLYK69UFB8QYyyLQaKMcumNuXqNzpPhW-2yY9zV-o4S6Wg/w640-h416/london-underground-1980s-02.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcq63Yu_COU4YgHUj_gbLl0tp1d5d8I3VncrxjMeg1X_uWaiz60nSctlxfpu-C1-gj_06j3rh5Saq0EEIb-bsWywwnlKXHnaIcsL2D_e5LkGo3r7HUk3WmDLgtuf6qPtoK9NeDiUbz8g1PhFNk2b_1OC1R0EIIHUq_OzBOYacsoh2qcUYPF1SxNHEPUA/w640-h412/london-underground-1980s-03.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuYzEp_tPsdWXUVVVtJmo-a5KHDMzbDuOTQV__6QPMvjPSCubbJasU-cUbo1TxVmpWYby90gR_Q459YbPqBJDrVnQrVDV9xt1e0m9JurquhOaVbcm0X-1e9_LB43IhTjHB8_qRrZ6OwYk5dlgSyYgJ3urz-WvH5t7fDN32_JBfd-q0YB2PUuf1ZVicA/w640-h412/london-underground-1980s-04.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg_IAOPjP8K4TMdzp77qGnJrJGVzpRzb7kYhO43ee3w1R_kYHNG--0IolYpHS5hI8X8RtY6Pee8Fn8BZpkDcZI54kjIhXbwWGCVM4WgEstH2Vha43H5KKGeyMC_ESFzKRIzxKiRqHHmRF9_BldxBILGe4F7-tthH1Pyebw_z1k_lcESWWylIyROYUvA/w640-h416/london-underground-1980s-05.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMqVIHq-TG11P3jXkALTRQmRkh4lu_EPPSdJuGqn4kvP17GaCKjqCJ0hS42D_Ke9_TP-PiRoORJALzKdEe0-uEQkF6DR9YGbEBQMK8H303ktARS_WXZ-eBKEb4fWMn0lULEO3ub6H9e8JRlzHpNZPtignjNrE0H_f2MuRYCJ-NdcNtX4NKa4UrW6kww/w640-h416/london-underground-1980s-06.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZeDo4HrbgGDTbjLIk-_D5nktCU8Q4urYolw384e4iI_4cUZJPXIVXj67EXZZyKVH512Y2EiS6qFyJDZvEe2AlwzvbJP8gHCzWCu87-UyU9N8vYpXQrYwRFuNF8JmNCBCGvL-T6NfZzq-YvlN0WbbJMTPyIk4hZJJBmTPYx5z8-dBb6OlCAECKiUgAg/w640-h412/london-underground-1980s-07.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOL35RIclD2vol1-XcY2HA2P6h-Zkv0v059EefyeerIEhYVnqwUX83Ws6Tu1SyRoU3Bdpvy9-1sCqJLlZx2EHxxSS7t-YezQFIut8dnP3aeronD_GAe1pxAjyxXNlLD-tQt_6u7_WRogeUh3qUeMyJzdQMJO69eDwMwtYPwoJSgdLmD16uqnY2UGJzA/w640-h414/london-underground-1980s-08.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJXQ5zraN5dDx2BUdSTDhQa4iizF-yLIB6Dp-gYdtyp6BWTuRoFgZmIZ7uwl4XeTFw0ygE6CmzFVDNx036aSq1msn72qmG9M1U6jID9WbLu19GTSlTUYkwct_p1k54YtwZg-0hnYTVQcSkkfK1e9ofx30owmyZNrXDoSExRUQCF-fw5itNRSPbHE5jg/w640-h418/london-underground-1980s-09.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjKJSGh686WPXlOjl1CuMtZ7Rrb3Z5dmY8W1myx5j9Hf8ll_m4OqgJPB_gS1IRMmFoZk8I1hjjmVRlC2sn-Ce57UWjMjlPkXoEQlhCaQ3Nj-7h0U4XRAZAvaKyx74jM45rmqtq0uskIpTTfddh8vxv97jv4ol3KbXLOsZ7RACf6XLMDOpstUaN6GPcA/w640-h408/london-underground-1980s-10.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4m4HCi2GCb3TRyTkTQp5vymyNQEFmROTlOe3mXTA1s61HANY0uwCXGz9Jlv--bGWeqbhcFdIvsEVqQtQypQ2QPeifGLAKf01MWx3fa7egyuZMOx7e1RX_Ig9nI4jUjb3Y9H2piNPZSpr18PbFRtPxOA9aXe_H9cErmOhrJfC-kFpRotje4RsEPaGqeA/w640-h420/london-underground-1980s-11.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggciCYNkNp1h880uHAY4cQFVdulWxpcq_xNFGqVe7zIlZMb6H83tlbz1347yhvcJT9y5pVYtMwICGm9Idtl2iZ13FKDjylNR9ELpyd_vR-iN7SOWXK3mG4clCs6BHVDDX8AGDginTsgLQcm_lmepsQxmlOlkSSEjJH7aEKgGFtgkHrsTQl6gcaDE6yUQ/w640-h418/london-underground-1980s-12.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLRi115DK8vhAnx__3tsWOwRFbbwfiqN2AHYwhBdP4_iT8sLnEs9hUIFgE-ZkMomwIZL13esjKBW3zwGcPqvqhlQkQ0a4a9EEPD8mNVVf-XC2Za61DlElMNKt4KhSXxoSmsdyfxSJGJhohJk0sL3rnI9irEAWA1EUvRgmOkTg_W8gkxwC5S9cJaIDfA/w640-h417/london-underground-1980s-13.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYZ71C3C9f9OFXQ7EKgcrrvyqM2XrvaxprqWL2xEFUNalJ5mwkX4U_SZgLnEzOiNRkvH0GLX5ffAIwNZ7ttTlk3p6x3XxfolvTUU1BOM7jksgZhzxqjZFs6RKN-5RdiFP5qcIHBwQtlG8sWNOeAuImSSDiAMt3vMSyq8nSi4sKjwgjdG-gH-bnaMbZw/w640-h404/london-underground-1980s-14.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYn4SCRe6Mk9dWV5pJ-qe8cD5XcAkqoTUfyxCir5U4sIqbrT3TFJRJe-3WQ8D37gS5ORkpq1w-0dSakoxT4Q8lUes_QKnVl_usauWXEeNC0PozSh8XRckj14NippdtbXKrOjvAJT0nxo_YxwEIAoVx4IwdhvGXjT9272_W0xl3pktfLTyH8kz8cfePA/w640-h414/london-underground-1980s-15.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmP1PQ_3iw1SqJbLFDXwdhZ6E0ve-ngMYvjPLesc0NbJ7xHdp6E2_Bl6YAMOea25RyzR9aVH-Qxry0kau8rRx1AU68-PgLcQfkphFFpCN6TgBw-FK9QCGEjwELoaeyNAfP_0PUbwf90_AOcdgrOUhEMhU_jnsGguI5DR0cnnbVJnHnEXt0fCJl3QK2-A/w640-h416/london-underground-1980s-16.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAKSFuz2Xd85nHVKUTXNbXs55M4vizh38ZdNx-F5lS_aiVBK5XHvD9qAtmPP5kvE52EW5e674VmcQd8x551BHKYtY-XAoQUAg9MUaJaeXDopRWGqu4pyYiM8sEe6jFoFbZUuUyukGwUc2qQRkeSGj8AFgn8nDjxefL5yuRhgybfxVxArapFNaPayV-Q/w640-h412/london-underground-1980s-17.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2tp96q9gm-b3lUWcToqGJqEQNrkSXCQGwrOH62WfpGssYR0rOZHc6cuTyTB4KnGABA04pj0VH130rS51iZ0trDRKDe8mNPzmMxR2Er7QedWYl9bO1oISaiUYFjynE-MHUEfASiosrn1WoQLSu-9nsqjn-vgBIkZj1XWWfLtNb_z4VNOO4PtW__agIw/w640-h416/london-underground-1980s-18.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZybsECQL1YlSjAgJzQmAuv6cFj-XKA1dArb_F9s8dNuzjcL52WArQoxJsi4OJNzHzoDymMjTZKrmcQ3POBxnezFJGitrGG9AsrABe1QAy9oL7V-udIis0TBcmKILZ0EE_bJ_C76AkuOCQNpcQCSukYkXCCOUy-faUm3YMZfHbNzfhHVoJvKe5FvR4g/w640-h416/london-underground-1980s-19.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxgTo_THb7iIvbtCEpHEC1mhauRCOUjMFbOeHuldRIM6rLQWFtuxdECbge0pzW87QlT2gL4KZDIFafAcv7OgLQuPz6XkkFaP1zZmIhiNWzqw19SuSK3LJLbKKwu1wy60Taw9-cnnVb5sWbO7aJ3oeZE8u7gGh72MCirKk5hvbqvhonSDQEXe6p3KPrw/w640-h412/london-underground-1980s-20.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQynZD1t6_NeesjzZl-6L2BQM4W9b6nFr3BV2PAHrS5W4qK6RIFwyjQfc33eXYBHCdBE1bCkqu4td3eXAfx15Q9z8h6LbUyeG46SInI4NCcOQMThV8owySVQG23HmivppXFgzzju_MMIwYkf1woJZ_R8OS-oIN18IKe5J7MWCG0hxCvfEu3D08VJ23Ug/w640-h418/london-underground-1980s-21.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjZrH8Wz1Mu5PxQRv8Qbh33cRtgSm_yMZnAk1vkSXlB09oCkITgdO-sJVe9KTU_oDG75psczTTbiyWPhir8RxGUyyQCUFpZNpAA7dp2vUZH-n06IanXN4LTA4S6uJ39_CB2zmKdptHiHBBMv5ydhQJL9Vsu-cQ1Wtv80TycYZ7LahvIhMDpOZNtGyHw/w640-h428/london-underground-1980s-22.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BozxK_A5S40Nw5H_pNEeHJowDgW6xqQ35flm9j3hDm8fAWkPQDsgLSo6VKh4Vs1fBYuKvYS1arzr9iJz5ALwPYbwLn8hlkVgwt8vZecO-7kQew9raQbrhFUG0C2M523bahiL5ZDpkInQjxjqslJJJYI-dZ_12WxDUlI7ZpICOTSciDj1BZuNKZ35pg/w640-h414/london-underground-1980s-23.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsz5WwRXz3vy-FMBMvRuSaobqERJGbsyyxbA4pxOg6Z8YA3k5m8Jt8aoEi8BmxLiSOoQcPXIjNCavXksZW8innsUyihYUd7z45GeAg6jlI4MRnE_TWPC5qVP7Wgkyqd51ttoKSKS9xclHJuAKVeU9G4CeKqXwMZv2OM9C3Z4w99FVeA-ZuoA0ZT8T7Q/w640-h406/london-underground-1980s-24.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXEeBWaNXFUifC3aO_Edgooa-EEnNkaoUu4mhlv_i34JIwgKUFc_3Rjubsp_2EO6xbx0r2juo_JKdtAcPwBIY-fDlMax_8pm7vD5IlUhtETUjv1KdcGZKsADm5LyhqhT8UDNFsCgGzkLKaN-R45MZbN9cxNjTV2hwE1u7ebGHttp-fUUBqRY1Tr_0sQ/w640-h392/london-underground-1980s-25.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIf55SyGzDJ1GenmFokw3Pvp5tgjXBHpmq7x-D8wZLjzjkE5NPYJFFlRPXWsqjwmHmYaM-F1gGSlmI4ATwdsV1I7aLHwQWKsKUV2PcGbVt3wptXeM0AIjJJC-c9WPGhLZNDu65PEwr6EaUeMtAzFjDS8gXT-8dbEz0yqlCZbdG5EOWEcHWmE_W9PegLQ/w640-h413/london-underground-1980s-26.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiub3V1oAZOjLMOFdpHYg8a12rAJlOxjVIi-eZMldmepKCcDLvNVO8VdxQsIyUTq7eN-JB4FHboBeE1qWvTLfptso61uiTSP77Jj3LC_ToTJb4xptEO8WNijMVbcRdR6SCE86eOHv6GamQ7-Fk_bz55mts3poztd1C-u9X90Seq1Fg2MXsMEX7LTrTc-w/w640-h396/london-underground-1980s-27.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOinKxat547U0ljsvAvvBIWKpEG44eT7fzMq3hD-cJAxbd5_TxoRaWSMX8sjwjHAMuXjC1V7tsCILBkWGyrWdvklnDYFJOOZR5g5jSWeN_K3k7YcHg25cNclIdGhAvdg2YRAK2hCKx0Bd0Tq0W6yOBXpZaEIvW_N9eAQ6S5uOkSxTVjyYQC2c-hKFwg/w640-h412/london-underground-1980s-28.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCWVluwdBGAtvQMjAXsJrMZHfLgbQEPv0tQ05C1HQtEINGWkoMPMr1nmjw76CYxczvL0fMlv0rFmxWuFXIezM7UKs0AttewunWG56BCHIFA43dvbowxwLMtGeXBlDc6x-vYHX3Uur7w4_ywdy1EEbGM20GbSoV6Jq43DaYq6B8RdR9xyZOhm7YjDtQA/w640-h442/london-underground-1980s-29.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4A7EJO6Wjt4AatW4FYRFRGJ8K-3PjXhzx84wVscsYBB-Xt2Jox9q8djodB7LU1HxIChbZOgyOiwQ4p70ey_wOZfk5dLlFDpoJISwFPgC60CA8DKKhw2KY6tIqhBGSKzXjKneAXUOSIVSHhSPRHzzxOro2n9YcQTxuiwNNB-nGunG_GheCe9kdt8m0rQ/w640-h412/london-underground-1980s-30.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmJoVarw8d1BVTKtspQqwJV3FEX-CIxkBcL9te5LbzFdCY_28bfylaz_VHgC_8KoJoEJvxGSF_iajvj74fu4KfH8ZvRULA-8VPBuiwXzkcbljZELYy-xt2nzYkz1xhxGo8M5BJL_5_GcYSXFv4W8Vs_gctsskANmAalZbnK0mKjquZ-vPjvAE_jWShg/w640-h414/london-underground-1980s-31.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7fFidncOJWYisnAgw8DPFM75QATC_yy0V0QFXFk4MN9FI5hXy8DthbKISGO9OEMo2eqMyALrym-k0DsZjeVH50XZX91OnjMydet6maiCqnKooanDgCLOBTTZhfPxeLUBhwb2ZwRIwT8il5khOORJa91PAxwuCs22TbJ4-vlHatv1oGSchyZQs6cePw/w640-h412/london-underground-1980s-32.jpg)
London Underground in the Late 1980s