Phil Maxwell In Hanbury St
October 22, 2016
Originally known as Browne’s Lane, at the end of the eighteenth century Hanbury St was named after Sampson Hanbury who ran the Truman Brewery from 1788. It traverses Spitalfields connecting Commercial St with Whitechapel and is less than a mile in length, yet all the contrasts of the neighbourhood are visible along its extent. Contributing Photographer Phil Maxwell knows this better than most since he began photographing it in 1982, observing the changes as he walked daily between his home in Pauline House at the Vallance Rd end and The Golden Heart on the corner of Commercial St to the west.
Photographs copyright © Phil Maxwell
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4 Responses
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Interesting pictures, I have a lot of memories from when I lived there as a small child, but the street has changed a lot – for the better, I think. Valerie
A place I worked for six formative years. one shot actually had the window I used to gaze out of when I had the spare moment–Which was rare! Forever changing, becoming more and more rarified. It boggles the minds of us who knew it as a forgotten place, a place of neglected beauty and the home of down and outs. But was it always thus? Is that what they said with each influx of new people? It is exhausting to see the expensive shops crowd out the idiosyncratic locals. But I hope they will help protect the historic fabric of the neighbourhood, hopefully they came for the beauty and will use their wealth to protect it as many of us couldn’t for the rest of the East End.
Shame so little of old Hanwell Street (orBrown’s Lane) exists today. My ancestor Mr Butfoy was the publican at the now-demolished Weavers Arms. What I’d give for a photo of that pub…
Very special moments, as always by Phil!
Love & Peace
ACHIM