Take a look back at the district in the ‘50s through 16 fascinating vintage black-and-white photographs below:

 The Barbour Brothers from Blackpool strolling down Shaftesbury Avenue, 1952. (Chris Ware)Londoners relaxing during a summer heat wave at St Anne’s Churchyard Gardens, 1952. (Daniel Farson)A banjo player entertaining the customers outside the Windmill Theatre, 1953. (Bert Hardy)A couple dancing at jazz club the Blue Heaven, 1954. (Charles Hewitt)Four women sharing a 9-foot-long baguette, 1955. (Daily Mirror)

Young men at La Caverne nightclub, 1955. (Joseph McKeown)Waiters carrying half bottles of champagne setting off on the annual waiters’ race from Soho Square to Greek Street, 1955. (Slim Aarons)Young girls greeting each other, 1956. (Thurston Hopkins)Two prostitutes leaning out the windows of a brothel, 1956. (Thurston Hopkins)People dancing at the Gargoyle Club, 1956. (Thurston Hopkins)A man in drag heading a carnival procession down Old Compton Street during the Soho Fair, 1956. (Ron Gerelli)Miss Soho waving to the crowds during the annual Soho Fair, 1956. (Mirrorpix)Pasta eating contest, 1956. (Jack Garofalo) London’s youth hanging out on the backstreets, 1956. (Werner Rings)A group playing and jiving in the street at a fair, 1957. (Evening Standard) Six models giving a preview of the latest in French haute couture, 1958. (Ron Case)