Sikh men outside the entrance to Hyde Park Corner

1935

This striking black‑and‑white image captures a group of well‑dressed Sikh gentlemen—turbaned and carrying parasols—standing with confidence outside the Hyde Park Corner Underground entrance. Behind them, the familiar “Underground” roundel and the railings of London’s great park evoke the cosmopolitan bustle of interwar Britain’s capital.

Historical Context
By the mid‑1930s, British India’s military and civil diaspora had brought many Sikhs to London—serving in the Indian Army, studying at universities or working in colonial administration. Hyde Park Corner, a hub for political rallies and high‑society promenades, offered a prominent backdrop for these visitors, whose distinctive dress and dignified bearing signalled both loyalty to the Empire and the rich cultural diversity of 1930s London.

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vintage photo, 1930s Sikh in London, Hyde Park Corner, interwar British India, Sikh diaspora history, London Underground 1935, antique UK postcard, multicultural Britain, OldPik uploads, City of London nostalgia

Contributed by OldPik on January 7, 2024

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Sikh men outside the entrance to Hyde Park Corner
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