East End Photographs and Drawings

[Andrew Firth]

Jenny,

It's probably fair to say that in Whitechapel & Spitalfields, the main problem is being hassled for money by beggars. If you stand still long enough, (e.g. to frame a shot), they see it as an opportunity to ask for spare change.

Of course, in addition to all that, you still have to contend with places like the Whites Row car park, which are not generally considered as safe, particularly for someone on their own. (Says me, having done just that on Friday evening! )

Then of course there are the local residents who don't like their homes being treated as some kind of Victorian theme park...

So, all in all, the best policy is to grab your photos when you can, and keep your wits about you at all times.

Mind how you go. Evenin' all.....

Andrew

[Andrew Firth]

The last three pics from my excursion last Friday...

A lone survivor on the eastern side of Henriques Street.


Another one of the window of 3 Fournier Street. No idea what all this "Noir" business is all about though...


Artillery Passage outside the Grapeshots wine bar.


All the best
Andrew

[George Hutchinson]

Ordered - along with Louis Berk's book.

When you apologised for the cover price, Andrew, I was expecting a tag of something like £50, as you pay for many art books.

£17-odd is nothing!

PHILIP

[John Bennett]

Ordered mine too. Looking forward to it.

[Andrew Firth]

Just had a look at the "Walk to Work" book by Louis Berk. It really is an outstanding collection of photographs of the area. He has a real eye for taking pictures of what most of us would consider to be an everyday, maybe even mundane, scene, and turning it into something that really makes you stop and think.

It's also apparent, even from the preview, that his pictures reveal all manner of colours in brickwork etc, that wouldn't normally be apparent to the casual eye.

Reckon I shall be making a purchase of that one too! Although I'll wait until my own copy of my own book has arrived first.

Oh, Philip, you might want to avoid looking too closely at page 32 of "Walk to Work".... He mentions the "C" word when referring to road surfaces....

All the best
Andrew

[Mike Covell]

The Hull Daily Mail ran an excellent article last night on the Bowlalley Lane area of Hull in the Victorian period. This is an area associated with the Stephenson family and was apparently quite a bad area. Anyway, the article discussed the Setts in Hull, and revealed that wooden Setts were placed outside the house's of the wealthy to soften the noise of passing carriages. No mention of the "C" word though!

[Andrew Firth]

Mike,

Wooden setts eh? Presumably the wealthy also could afford to employ servants to encourage passers-by to tiptoe quietly past their masters residences...

Andrew

[Paddy Goose]

Lambeth Walking

[Archaic]

"Lambeth Walking"

Love that one, Paddy!

Best regards, Archaic

[Andrew Firth]

It's nice to see the poor weather hasn't put off the locals from 'avin' a bit of a knees-up!

All the best
Andrew

[Mascara & Paranoia]

God, that's bleak. Can you imagine a world without Drum 'n' Bass?

[robhouse]

Are there any photos of the Great Synagogue on Duke Street ? I have not seen any (except for one interior shot... a painting I think). I find it hard to believe that no photos of this building exist...

Rob H

[Bailey]

God, that's bleak. Can you imagine a world without Drum 'n' Bass?

I frequently pray for one...

B.

[Sam Flynn]

I frequently pray for one...

Me too! I didn't get to bed until 2AM this morning, because the neighbours had a party going on. A comparatively civilised one, to be fair (they're really nice people, besides), but enough twangs and thuds insinuated their way through my double-glazing to keep me awake.

[The Grave Maurice]

...I didn't get to bed until 2AM this morning...

Timekeeping must be different in Britain. Here in the colonies, 2AM is always in the morning. I can sympathize, though. There is some sort of party going on a couple of houses from me this afternoon, and it has seriously interfered with my re-reading of The Alienist.