Darcus Howe (Anti-National Front Demonstration, Lewisham)
- Artist: Syd Shelton
- Date: 1977
- Medium: gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 14 1/4 in. x 20 7/8 in. (363 mm x 530 mm) image size
- Portrays: Darcus Howe
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
In this gelatin‑silver print by Syd Shelton from 1977 we see Darcus Howe on the left, addressing a crowd during the Battle of Lewisham. The black‑and‑white image captures his gesture—hand raised—against an urban backdrop of brick buildings that frame the street scene. Shelton was a photographer active in the Rock Against Racism movement; he used this medium to document the demonstration where Howe spoke as a writer, broadcaster and activist. The print’s crisp contrast brings out the crowd’s faces and the architecture, anchoring the moment in London’s 1970s protest culture.
See it in person
Darcus Howe (Anti-National Front Demonstration, Lewisham) is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
