While working as projectionist in an adult cinema called The Office Cinema in 1970s / 80s London, Bob Mazzer began photographing the people on the tube during his daily commute, more often at night.
Here are some of those images.
Here are some of those images.
Bob Mazzer is a self-proclaimed Captain Beefheart disciple and photographer. His commute was from King's Cross to Manor House.
Bob habitually snapped characters he met on his way, capturing the hijinks of London’s late night revellers as they made their way home, or on to another pub.
"I was interested in society. I loved people being themselves on the tube, not following the herd. People who took drinks on the train. There’s a shot of a woman with a beer, I liked all of that"
"A guy got onto the train with a guitar and an amp strapped to his back. I immediately wanted to hook up and get to know these people and photograph them. I wanted to be part of it."
"The tube has become this big thing. I came to realise it had become a historical document. I’ve taken several hundred pictures."
"I love social interaction. You can hide behind a camera or it can be a ticket. Obviously there are times when you don’t want your camera around your neck, like if you’re gonna get beer thrown over you."
Favourite photos....
"I like this woman – there’s something peculiar."
"And this man looks like Dracula. That was always a favourite."
"I like this woman – there’s something peculiar."
"And this man looks like Dracula. That was always a favourite."
'Some people have said the late-night shenanigans look scary, I loved it; people did all sorts of crazy stuff. Now, modernised, the tube has lost some of its warmth – though it's much easier to shoot these days.'
"It happens on the tube: you're on the platform for quite some time. Every so often someone rolls by and you think: what was that?"
"These are split seconds in people's lives. I would shoot a lot of pictures on the tube. On any journey I might take 25 and there might be one or none that were any good."
"No one ever protested, or ever complained, or ever tried to stop me. So I kind of felt by accident that everyone thought it was cool."
"There's this kind of mish-mash of colours and texture and atmosphere and smiles and scowls. When it works it's really great. I look at some of these myself and think, 'how did I do that?'"
"The stations were rough and that has a character which comes over in the pictures. I think people identify with that and it gives it this historical edge."
"When you shoot something for 30 to 40 years, even though I didn't consciously have a plan, I felt there was something even I didn't know about yet. And you suddenly become aware that you are documenting something that is going to have a historical bent to it."
Bob's book 'Underground' was released by @thegentleauthor in 2014
