Art of the London Blitz: bomb sites painted by Ernest Borough Johnson
- London On The Ground
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Bombed City of London churches and Guildhall through the eyes of an artist in the 1940s.
Ernest Borough Johnson drew and painted several scenes in the City of London during World War II after bombing raids.
Many of these artworks portray Wren churches, battered but not beaten by bombs, their proud and defiant towers still standing in spite of the devastation all around them. Other images include bomb-damaged Guildhall, its roof shattered but its centuries old walls intact, and Salters’ Hall glimpsed from the wreckage of St Swithin’s churchyard.
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Some of his bombed out City scenes were created during the Blitz, which began on 7 September 1940 and continued until 11 May 1941, but he also continued to produce similar works throughout World War II.
I recently discovered some of Borough Johnson’s World War II work in the City of London, at the excellent London in the Second World War exhibition at the London Archives. This free exhibition, which continues until 19 February 2026, also includes the work of other artists, in addition to photographs and a range of fascinating documents portraying London during the war.
The artworks in this exhibition inspired me to devise a new walk, Art of the London Blitz, 85 years on…. Commissioned by the London Archives, this walk will have its first outing on 7 September at 11am (more details at the end of this post).
Ernest Borough Johnson (1867-1949) painted in oils, watercolours, tempera and pastels and also worked in lithograph, etching and charcoal. In addition to his World War II bombsite works, subjects during his long career included portraits and landscapes.
The son of a doctor of medicine, he was born in Shifnal, Shropshire and studied art at the Slade School in London and the Herkomer Art School in Bushey in the 1880s.
He was Professor of Fine Art at Bedford College, University of London, and Chelsea Polytechnic and taught life painting and drawing at London School of Art and the Byam Shaw School. He illustrated Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles and published a book on draughtsmanship.
In 1903 Ernest Borough Johnson married Esther George (1866-1958), the daughter of a clergyman and a fellow artist. After her marriage, she painted under the name Esther Borough Johnson. A painter and draughtsman, she studied at Birmingham School of Art, Chelsea School of Art and the Herkomer School.
She wrote a book on flower painting, published in 1931. Her skills in this field are clearly visible in her 1945 watercolour of wild flowers among the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral, currently on display as part of the London Archives' London in the Second World War exhibition.
Below is a selection of Ernest Borough Johnson's World War II artworks in the City of London, with thanks to The London Archives for providing the images from its collection.
For an insight into how long it took to rebuild the bomb-torn City of London, see my post on Hubert Pragnell's drawings of bomb sites in the 1950s and 1960s
Artworks of the bombed City of London during World War II form the heart of a new walking tour I will be leading on behalf of the London Archives to mark the 85th anniversary of the Blitz: Art of the London Blitz, 85 years on….
On this tour, I will show you drawings and paintings of bomb sites and other scenes in the City in the location where they were created. Artists featured on the walk will include Ernest and Esther Borough Johnson and others including Hanslip Fletcher, Walter Spradbery and Richard Mathews.
The walk will take place at 11am on 7 September, the 85th anniversary of the start of the Blitz in 1940. There will be a second chance to join this walk on 10 May 2026, marking the end of the Blitz in 1941.
Walks available for booking
For a schedule of forthcoming London On The Ground guided walks and tours, including my Art of the London Blitz walk on 7 September, please click here.
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