An arresting black-and-white picture from the Blitz showing exhausted Londoners sheltering in a Tube station has been recreated by a leading conflict photographer.

Hazel Thompson has restaged the iconic Second World War image 80 years on to challenge people to consider what the impact of such a devastating conflict would be today.

The juxtaposed stills, part of a major Imperial War Museum (IWM) project, serve a stark reminder of the precious nature of the relative peace that Britain currently enjoys.

The 2021 version was restaged with around 30 people, including actors and IWM staff, by the photojournalist – who has experience taking pictures in conflict zones across the world – in a section of Charing Cross station that can be hired for photoshoots.

She told those stepping into the frame to picture people fleeing in Afghanistan and Syria and to imagine the ground shaking from bombs exploding over their heads.

The Londoner told Metro.co.uk: ‘Even though the image is from the Second World War it has emotional resonance because everyone can relate to the London Tube.

‘It’s about transposing the reality of war into today’s world, with the fear of the unknown and the gruelling routine of taking shelter day in, day out.

‘The aim for me was for people to see themselves in the image and to connect with that part of our history so we can value living in a time of peace.’

While present-day Londoners might feel more acutely threatened by terror attacks such as the 7/7 bombings, Hazel’s two decades of experience in conflict regions such as the Congo has informed her work from the point of view of people living with the daily reality of war.

She said: ‘Even though the image is from the Tube during the Second World War, I can relate to it emotionally because when I look at the old image I’m reminded of the women I met in the Congo who had to flee their homes at night and sleep near a UN outpost because of their fear of being raped or attacked during the night.

‘For me, it’s about the reality of being in real war zones.

‘When I took the photograph I asked the actors to think of Afghanistan or Syria and to imagine bombs going off and the ground shaking.

‘I asked them to imagine what it’s like to not know if, when the sun comes up in the morning when you go above ground, whether your home is going to be there or if your relatives are still alive.’

Taken in 1941, the original picture shows weary commuters wearing work clothes slumped on escalators in crowded conditions at a time when the German air raids were razing swathes of the city to the ground.

The Blitz is estimated to have claimed the majority of the 70,000 civilian lives lost in the UK during the conflict. Perhaps due to the fog of war, the original photographer and station is unknown.

Hazel, 43, said: ‘I call myself a “border walker” going in and out of war zones and when I come back to the UK I want people to care about these places but it’s hard for people to relate to in our world here.

‘It’s important that we enjoy our lives but also value peace and the fact we are not living like those caught up in conflicts.

‘Museums are here not just so history is documented but so we can value what we have now and avoid war at all costs.’

Hazel worked with the IWM and the Grey advertising agency for the project, part of the museum’s extensive new Second World War Galleries and The Holocaust Galleries, which open on Wednesday, October 20.

The images will be displayed at the museum in London and also be used for large-scale posters on the Underground.

Pete Austin, the IWM’s assistant director of marketing and communications, said: ‘The Second World War touched the lives of millions of people around the world; ordinary people living through extraordinary times, and witnessing the most devastating conflict in human history.

‘But this is not just about history. The legacy of the Second World War and of The Holocaust continues to this day, and the need to take refuge and shelter from danger, as seen in both the original 1941 photo and in our recreation, is familiar to many of us.

‘Through this new image we want to challenge people to reflect on what the impact of such a destructive war could be today, and to understand why the IWM’s new galleries are both so relevant and so needed.’

The IWM’s new Second World War and The Holocaust Galleries open at IWM London on Wednesday, October 20.

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