1959: The Regent Street Association first decorated the street with Christmas trees lights in 1954 after the Daily Telegraph reported that London looked ‘drab’ at Christmas. (Bettman, Corbis)
1960: As the afternoons descend into darkness in early November, the lights of central London are switched on and hang brightly above shoppers’ heads. (Henry Grant Collection, Museum of London)
1961: The lights of London resembling baubles in the ‘60s. (George Freston, Fox Photos, Getty Images)
1970: The designs became more elaborate each year until the cost of creating the spectacle became prohibitive, as a result there were no lights from 1971 to 1977. (London Metropolitan Archives)
1997: The Christmas lights were reintroduced in 1978 with financial support from the retailers in Regent Street. The reality of commercial sponsorship is clear in ’97. (Louis Macdonnell)
2012: The sponsorship of film companies has been a familiar sight since the early noughties. (Vene Grant)
