Comments on: Wonderful London

By: Ian Silverton

Ian Silverton — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 18:32:34 +0000

Like the Lady selling flowers in picture 9 my Great Grandmother Alice Berry was known as hawker but she sold flowers In London Streets,to keep her and Daugher also called Alice in the work house in Bethnal Green 1800s. She was often fined for doing so,so the records of the time show, no husband no home no money,but they both survived, my Grandmother married and had 6 children, and became a lady Publican in Bethnal Green, no mean feat at the time.

By: Kitanz

Kitanz — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 03:35:41 +0000

These are the Best Pictures of men and ladies working on there jobs! I’d Love to see more. Thank You!!

By: Peter Coles

Peter Coles — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 19:21:10 +0000

Beautiful portraits. Thanks for posting them

By: daniel

daniel — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 17:46:42 +0000

Very nice!

By: Phil Maxwell

Phil Maxwell — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 16:40:08 +0000

Wonderful

By: Ed Hack

Ed Hack — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 13:17:27 +0000

Every morning I look forward to Spitalfields Life, but “Wonderful London”? The folks caught by the camera in an instant of their lives, who smile at the camera’s novelty and the sudden pleasure of being not only noticed but, somehow important enough to be noticed, are, to my eye, living a marginal, in some cases a barely marginal life—take a moment to look carefully at the face of the Wandering Harpist, the upturned hat of the Hurdy Gordy Man—pause for a while and let the Gramaphone Man’s stare settle in on you; imagine the weight of the Knife Grinder’s cart…” Wonderful London?” I don’t think so. Those dirty clothes—the weight of the clothes of the old woman with the steaming cup—of tea?—her world on her back and in the cloth bag next to her. A hard, a brutal social, economic world caught in each portrait. The sadness of the Concertina Man image is heartbreaking.

By: Hilda Kean

Hilda Kean — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 11:48:47 +0000

I do like the cats’ meat man. I used his image from the interesting work at the Bishopsgate Institute
and included it in The Great Cat and Dog Massacre. In particular it’s one of the only images here that includes a cat!

By: Peter Holford

Peter Holford — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 11:28:09 +0000

Great photos of a way of life and occupations long gone. Many look very posed but it hardly matters – the limitations of photography probably required a static, posed subject.

One or two thoughts:
How old is the old woman (second photo). It looks as though she has lost her teeth which would make her look older but she could be in her 50s – relatively old in those times.
I’ve always wondered how it could be profitable to bring onions across the Channel to sell in London. Did they bring huge quantities and perhaps use the money to but things in London to sell in Brittany. There had to be more to it than selling a few ropes of onions.
Are the escapologist and Peter Cook related?

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 11:11:17 +0000

Your headline says it all……”Wonderful London”. In theory each of these photos could comprise an individual post with boundless stories about long-ago professions. This array of photos gives us a glimpse of reality and humanity — and true grit.
Thank you for your dedicated chronicles of wonderful London.
Long may she wave. And you, sir.
Happy Holidays.

By: lucinda

lucinda — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 10:21:15 +0000

Our very own August Sander! Wonderful portraits.