Story of Life

Hidden away below stairs an army of people were once the vital cogs that kept the homes of the wealthy running smoothly. For little reward these men and women toiled from before dawn until after dusk. A century ago, 1.5 million British people worked as servants – astonishingly, more than worked in factories or farms. But while servants are often portrayed as characters in period dramas, the real stories of Britain's servants have largely been forgotten.
From Upstairs, Downstairs to Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, TV dramas and films have made us care about the characters below stairs.

Life was an iconic weekly magazine that specialised in extraordinarily vivid photojournalism. In the 40s, 50s and 60s it caught the spirit of America as it blossomed into a world superpower and its influence on American people was unparalleled. Fashion photographer Rankin celebrates the work of Life's legendary photographers including Alfred Eisenstaedt and Margaret Bourke-White, who went to outrageous lengths to get the best picture.

A powerful story of life under fire and one man's journey back from the brink