Heads up! We’re working hard to be accurate – but these are unusual times, so please always check before heading out.

In 1973, a pint of beer in a London pub cost, on average, 15 pence. Based on inflation, today’s price should be somewhere around £1.58. Yet as any thirsty Londoner will tell you, in reality you’ll be lucky to wet your whistle for double that.

Rising taxes and duties on booze are undoubtedly one of the big reasons why London pubs are closing at a rate of 90 per year. And while the industry is by no means on its arse, it’s certainly undergone a big change in the last couple of decades. No longer are a bit of company and a regular quiz enough to entice punters in – you need a monthly vintage clothing sale, a ukulele night and nostalgia-pricking film screenings. And while some pubs have adapted well to the brave new face of boozing, others, well – see for yourself.

Use the slider handles on the images below to flick between past and present. Got an old photo of London we should re-shoot for our next gallery? Tweet at @TimeOutLondon.

Abbey Arms, Plaistow, late nineteenth century

Boleyn Tavern, Upton Park, early twentieth century

Galloway Arms, Limehouse, 1981

Grapes, Limehouse, 1975

Hand and Flower, Bow, 1970

Spotted Dog, West Ham, early twentieth century

White Hart, Whitechapel, 1960