Summer style at Wimbledon 1960

Bob Collins worked as a photojournalist for over 50 years, beginning in the 1940s. He’s best known for his portraits – but his shots of ordinary Londoners are fascinating.

The first Wimbledon Championship was in 1875. The tournament is run by the All England Club and is famous for its pristine grass courts. Wimbledon has become one of the Grand Slams – the four major competitions in world tennis.

For his photographs, Collins chose to focus on the spectators at Wimbledon, not the tennis itself.

Many of the photos capture people looking up, often at scoreboards – resulting in an unusual perspective and some intriguing expressions.

On the court, the 1960 women’s singles competition was won by a Brazilian – Maria Bueno. The men’s final featured two Australians, with Neale Fraser beating Rod Laver.

Before 1968, only amateurs could play at Wimbledon. From 1968, the tournament became an open championship, inviting professionals who earned money from playing tennis to compete too.

Wimbledon is a summer tournament. With crowds often exposed to hours of sunlight as they watch or stroll around the grounds, sunglasses and hats are a wise choice. But this is still London – Wimbledon is notorious for rain stopping play. Retractable roofs were added to Centre Court in 2009 and No 1 Court in 2019.

Collins’ photos capture London on the verge of a revolutionary decade when the capital became a hotspot for innovative music, art and fashion.

Wimbledon’s main courts are surrounded by large stands. But there are many outer courts too, with far fewer seats to watch from. These often host lower-ranked players, and allow spectators a much closer view of the games.