A historical exhibit of photographs taken in and around Spitalfields was on display in April just off of Brick Lane in Eleven Spitalfields gallery. The exhibit showed several photographs by photographer CA Mathew taken on Saturday, April 20 in 1912 (five days after the fate of the Titanic). The photographer is not well-known, and these photographs were forgotten until a few years ago. This was the first public display.
Crispin Street - CA Mathew
The photographs show a time when this area of London was vastly different than the London of today, although the street names and some of the buildings remain the same. The first difference I noticed was the number of children (and families) in the photographs; contrast with this today and there are virtually no children. This area is mainly noted for City office workers and adult tourists from every country visiting the area to go on a street art or Jack-the-Ripper tour.
The location for the above photograph today (from Google Maps) has changed. The building with the railing on the left appears to remain the same, but the buildings on the right are new. In fact, White's Row (the white car parking area on the right and the street by the same name) were rennovated greatly. This area used to be the slums and had shelters for criminals and prostitutes until the late 1800s when some of the area was demolished and the streets renamed.
In 1888, it was the location of the last and most gruesome of the Ripper murders. It seems that in the years after the terrible murders, the area was cleaned up. The pub is gone, but it does remind me a little bit of today's The Gun pub, which is further up the street facing Spitalfields Market directly. (In older days, Spitalfields was just outside the old city walls and was the artillery grounds for the royals and the tower guards, and many of the streets retain its original use; Artillery Lane and Gun Street are nearby.)
Crispin Street today
Another photograph from the exhibit, along with today's view, is displayed below. I wonder if these people knew about the Titanic or if it was big news for them.
Artillery Lane - CA Mathew
Artillery Lane today
These photographs are fascinating. However, no one really knows why the photographs were captured or knows much about the photographer. The photographer was a surveyor before he learned photography. He only spent five years in photography before he passed away. Many of the photographs depict buildings and contain measurements of the streets and buildings, so perhaps he was on a job. It is possible that the area, in rennovation, was in need of some surveys. However, these plans would have been canned on the eve of the first World War, so the photographs were never used. It is also possible that the photographer simply made a trip to London on the Saturday to use the camera.
Another photographer, Horace Warner, in Spitalfields at around the same time was more interested in photographing children instead of buildings. The children, known as nippers of Spitalfields, completed errands and chores for money. For more information and photographs, see: http://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/04/02/spitalfields-nippers/
Horace Warner's photo of a nipper
More photographs and information about CA Mathew's photographs can be seen here: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/mar/02/photographs-ca-mathews-london-east-end-exhibition
(All images in this entry were taken by photographer CA Mathew, Horace Warner, and Google Maps.)
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