The British pub is legendary with imitations found around the world and tourists who visit London will often seek out rustic, Victorian boozers where they can enjoy a warming ale.
For photographer Horst A. Friedrichs’ latest book Local Legends: The Hidden Pubs of London, he sought out special pubs tucked away down London’s narrow alleyways concealed from crowds of tourists and passersby.
“I think my approach as a photographer is natural curiosity,” Friedrichs’ tells PetaPixel.
Working with London pub guide John Warland who operates Liquid History Tours and wrote the words for the book, Friedrichs spent two years capturing 38 boozers with multiple visits to some of them in a quest to get the perfect picture.
“Capturing the characters either side of the bar is a special art,” he explains. “An eye for the shot, a sense for the timing, a desire to capture that particular moment and execute it.”
Friedrichs avoided using flash so as not to “freeze things and make it too harsh” and therefore relied upon his Canon 5D Mark IV and series of prime lenses.
“I wanted to keep this natural grainy feel and not make it too Getty or Instagram,” he adds. “I didn’t want it to be like a brochure or a guide. It should come across more authentic — a bit raw or rough.”
What Makes a London Pub Special?
Friedrichs says that a good pub is not just about the beer, but also about the people that populate the tavern.
“The stories that we heard from patrons and publicans whilst shooting were simply legendary,” he says.
“We had a strict criterion for the book. All the featured pubs are wet-led, meaning that while food may be served, their primary focus is the drinks.”
“We had to balance the visual, the anecdotal, and the experimental — that is, they had to look good, they had to have a bunch of good stories attached to them, and they had to be places you’d want to linger in.”
Friedrichs says he would listen to the interesting stories told by the characters that frquent these chaming establishments as he went about photographing the environment.
“We have the stories of landlords, landladies, and punters alike to thank for this wonderful experience,” he adds.
Local Legends: The Hidden Pubs of London is published by Prestel and can be purchased here.
Image credits: Photographs by Horst A. Friedrichs.
