East End Photographs and Drawings

[JTRSickert]

THank you, Miss Marple. I appreciate the info. However, in regards to my 1st question, do yo uknow what the alte -evening/early mornign hours were like in Whitechapel/Spitalfields? Was it creepy, dark, and deserted (except for some laborers and unfortunates)? Or, was it a bustle of activity, despite the hours of the day?

[George Hutchinson]

Welcome, Old Montague.

That's a smashing first post!

PHILIP

[Limehouse]

THank you, Miss Marple. I appreciate the info. However, in regards to my 1st question, do yo uknow what the alte -evening/early mornign hours were like in Whitechapel/Spitalfields? Was it creepy, dark, and deserted (except for some laborers and unfortunates)? Or, was it a bustle of activity, despite the hours of the day?

Hi JTRSIckert,

I hope I can partly help to answer your question.

The fact that many shops and pubs were open until after mid-night suggests there was some traffic of people through the area in the small hours.

Workers at the markets in Billingsgate and Spitalfields started very early and would have been on their way to work at around 3am. Slaughter houses also started early. By 5am or so, dock workers (mostly men) would have been making their way to the dock area, especially casual workers who queued for work on a daily basis.

The homeless often walked around at night and tried to sleep during the day as it was safer that way.

Policemen walked a regular beat, passing the same spots many times during the night.

In the main streets and thoroughfares would, therefore, have been busy. However some of the back streets and alleys may well have been deserted for short periods of time.

It can be noted that, with the exception of Mary Kelly, all the murdered women were discovered within a very short time of their attack - suggesting there were many people up and about at those times.

[dixon9]

i know limehouse is correct on how busy it would be around the dock areas in the early hours.All my family worked on the docks ( Royal Albert and East India docks),even going back to the early 1960s(which i remember by going to work with dad as a young lad) there were many casual workers lining the docks looking for work.My father and granddad told me many story about casual workers fighting each other to get to front of cue for work.

[John Bennett]

Anybody who has a copy of Charles Poulsen's 'Scenes from a Stepney Childhood' will no doubt be familiar with this illustration of Durward Street by Min Tabor.


It also includes a thoroughly atmospheric description of the street and Wood's Buildings as they were when the book was written in 1988.

I thoroughly recommend it, it's a cracking little read.

[The Grave Maurice]

It's Scenes from a Stepney Youth, isn't it? Or has Poulsen got a similarly-titled book that I don't know about.

[John Bennett]

GM,

You're right, it's 'YOUTH'. How on earth did I do that? The book was in front of me!

Thanks for pointing that one out.

JB

[WARSPITE]

Many thanks for more great photos Rob. Youll have to let us know wheres the best place to go to look at old photos, ?LMA. I think I went there years ago, is it still Northampton Row or something? Lovely to see the Roebuck, I remember it well from the 1980s, passing it on a dark night, it looked so cosy inside. I was heartbroken when I heard it had gone forever. Brady St is unrecognisable now.
Pete

[JTRSickert]

i know limehouse is correct on how busy it would be around the dock areas in the early hours.All my family worked on the docks ( Royal Albert and East India docks),even going back to the early 1960s(which i remember by going to work with dad as a young lad) there were many casual workers lining the docks looking for work.My father and granddad told me many story about casual workers fighting each other to get to front of cue for work.

I just wanted to say thank you to both limehouse and dixon. Your information was very helpful. Thanks a lot.

[John Bennett]

Just a few photos I took yesterday:

Dray Walk. This guy was obviously waiting a long time for the shop to open.


Brick Lane.


Christchurch, from Brushfield Street.

[Sam Flynn]

[ATTACH]6680[/ATTACH]This guy was obviously waiting a long time for the shop to open.

Nah... they were just running a skeleton staff

[John Bennett]

And if you look closely at the Durward Street sketch, you can make out Rob Clack and John Bennett on one of their 1980s photo-missions (hiding from the winos).


I really must get out more...

[George Hutchinson]

I would say you two appear more to be WITH them!

PHILIP

[Rob Clack]

Ah, those were the days. Even though the drawing looks crudely done, I like it and it's actually very good.

Rob

[Roy Corduroy]

Speaking of Durward Street, the 1868 map is released this year by Mapco. It shows Great Eastern Square. Scroll down to the bottom right. (click here to see the map)