First ever colour photos of the East End on show in Tower Hamlets

The East End in Colour 1960-1980 book cover by David Granick. Pic: Hoxton MIni Press

The East End in Colour 1960-1980 book cover by David Granick. Pic: David Granick, Hoxton Mini Press, © Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

A new exhibition of photography celebrating the East End of London was just opened for viewing at the Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives, which is part of the Idea Store, Library Learning Information group.

The exhibit is titled ‘The East End in Colour 1960-1980’ and features a selection of coloured slides by photographer David Granick on Kodachrome film.

Photographs shown were some of the first coloured images ever taken of East London.

Stifford Estate, Stepney Green 1961. Pic: Hoxton Mini Press

Stifford Estate, Stepney Green 1961. Pic: David Granick, Hoxton Mini Press, © Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

Spitalfields Market, 1973. Pic: Hoxton Mini Press

Spitalfields Market, 1973. Pic: David Granick, Hoxton Mini Press, © to the Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

The slides from the images were discovered and later digitised, cleaned, and modified to a higher quality by Chris Dorley-Brown, a local photographer, who recognised the importance and beauty of the pictures.

The photos taken from the slides on display are coinciding with a book being published with the same title of the exhibition, which is due to be released on February 22, by Hoxton Mini Press.

The book is available to pre-order here.

Both local residents of the borough and tourists can visit and see how the area has changed through the sixties to the present day, and look at areas that have since vanished.

The photographs were taken in many different areas of the Tower Hamlets borough, including Mile End Road, Spitalfields Market, Brushfield Street, Whitechapel Road and a housing estate in Stepney Green.

Stepney Green is where photographer David Granick, who died in 1980, grew up and lived most of his adult life.

Belhaven Street, 1977. Pic: Hoxton Mini Press

Belhaven Street, 1977. Pic: David Granick, Hoxton Mini Press, © Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

Mile End Road, 1977. Pic: Hoxton Mini Press

Mile End Road, 1977. Pic: David Granick, Hoxton Mini Press, © Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

Whitechapel Road, 1965. Pic: Hoxton Mini Press

Whitechapel Road, 1965. Pic: David Granick, Hoxton Mini Press, © Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

Brushfield Street, 1970. Pic: Hoxton Mini Press

Brushfield Street, 1970. Pic: David Granick, Hoxton Mini Press, © Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

Watney Market, 1974. Pic: Hoxton Mini Press

Watney Market, 1974. Pic: David Granick, Hoxton Mini Press, © Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

The exhibition opened on Saturday February 3, with its launch night last Thursday, February 8.

A second event as part of the exhibition opening is set to take place on Thursday March 1, again at the Tower Hamlets History Library. At this event a selection of documentary films will be shown, depicting the lives of those who lived in this area of East London in the same time period of which the photographs were taken (1960-1980).

The exhibition runs until the 5th of May this year.

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