On Friday 19 January 1917 an enormous explosion occurred at a large munitions factory in Silvertown, located in the borough of Newham. The factory was manufacturing explosives for Britain’s Second World War military effort. The blast was thought to be caused by a fire which broke out in the factory and spread to reach the TNT stores. The explosion caused utter devastation, killing around 70 people and injuring hundreds more.

To commemorate the centenary of this explosion, the Museum of London Docklands is releasing and digitising images from their archive which shows the devastation of the blast. This album was created by the Port of London Authority who commissioned photographer John H. Avery to document the damage done to their property in order to claim compensation.