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Hi everyone,
I've not had the pleasure of starting a thread before, so here's hoping it all comes off successfully. Apologies in advance, if this turns up on Hutchinson thread
...sorry, I couldn't pass that one up.
No doubt, I'm raking over old coals, but for the benefit of those who, like me, may not have come across it before, I thought I'd mention a fascinating little book called 'Say Goodbye: You May Never See Them Again' (Jonathan Cape Ltd, London 1974).
It contains some great old naïve paintings of the East End streets by the late John Allin and accompanying text by the dramatist, the late Sir Arnold Wesker – both old-school Cockneys. From what I can readily tell, the period covered in the book spans the war years to the early 1970s, more or less, and the decade immediately post-war in particular.
I've had a copy lent to me (by a former East Ender, born near the London Hospital nearly 70 years ago) which I have to return tomorrow, as I don't own one yet. So even if temporarily, the images and prose are worth beholding, and give a feel for that most city-abutting part of the East End around Spitalfields. The authors recount childhood memories, family scenes and histories (some harking back to eastern Europe) - in many instances displaying the fading Jewishness of the area at a time when that community was leaving for more affluent areas of London.
My favourite, is the painting of the old Spitalfields Great Synagogue, on the corner of Brick Lane and Fournier Street, and today home to the Brick Lane Jamme Masjid. Which is not to take anything away from the any of the other scenes depicted. Those of Wentworth Street, Brick Lane, Gun Street, Commercial Street, and Old Montague Street are particularly interesting. They're all amazing, really, and quite beautiful.
Some of the images in the book can be seen at the following website, with a note on the book itself at the link following:
Stephen
I've not had the pleasure of starting a thread before, so here's hoping it all comes off successfully. Apologies in advance, if this turns up on Hutchinson thread
...sorry, I couldn't pass that one up. No doubt, I'm raking over old coals, but for the benefit of those who, like me, may not have come across it before, I thought I'd mention a fascinating little book called 'Say Goodbye: You May Never See Them Again' (Jonathan Cape Ltd, London 1974).
It contains some great old naïve paintings of the East End streets by the late John Allin and accompanying text by the dramatist, the late Sir Arnold Wesker – both old-school Cockneys. From what I can readily tell, the period covered in the book spans the war years to the early 1970s, more or less, and the decade immediately post-war in particular.
I've had a copy lent to me (by a former East Ender, born near the London Hospital nearly 70 years ago) which I have to return tomorrow, as I don't own one yet. So even if temporarily, the images and prose are worth beholding, and give a feel for that most city-abutting part of the East End around Spitalfields. The authors recount childhood memories, family scenes and histories (some harking back to eastern Europe) - in many instances displaying the fading Jewishness of the area at a time when that community was leaving for more affluent areas of London.
My favourite, is the painting of the old Spitalfields Great Synagogue, on the corner of Brick Lane and Fournier Street, and today home to the Brick Lane Jamme Masjid. Which is not to take anything away from the any of the other scenes depicted. Those of Wentworth Street, Brick Lane, Gun Street, Commercial Street, and Old Montague Street are particularly interesting. They're all amazing, really, and quite beautiful.
Some of the images in the book can be seen at the following website, with a note on the book itself at the link following:
Stephen
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