SOME know the East End for its cheery, cheeky residents; others think of the area as violent and dirty. Yet for most of its history, London’s backyard was a rural retreat of fields and gardens, and the location for hospitals, academies and asylums. This all changed with London’s commercial expansion. The East End became a labyrinth of docks, warehouses, sweatshops, mills and factories, where everything from dog biscuits to Dreadnoughts was produced. The eclectic mix of nationalities and cultures that made up the population created a city within a city, and from their ranks have come leaders of church and state, businessmen and political activists. Among the illustrious names associated with the area are both the celebrated, such as Captain Cook, Dr Barnardo and Gandhi, and the iniquitous: Jack the Ripper and the Krays. Since the docks became Docklands, yet more people, from across the world, have come to make their fortunes in Brick Lane. This informative yet enthralling account, complemented by a selection of first-rate illustrations, is a great contribution to the history of this remarkable area.
245 x 185mm (hardback with 181 illustrations) 184 pages
Published 2004
