Battersea Park opened to the public in 1854. As part of the 1951 Festival of Britain celebrations an area of the park next to the River Thames was requisitioned to form the Festival Gardens. While the intention was for the Gardens to last for a year, the funfair remained until 1974. Although open to the public, not all of the attractions had been fully built when this photograph was taken in spring 1951.
Historic England Archive EAW035838.