Comments on: An Astonishing Photographic Discovery

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 04:04:20 +0000

I am so curious about the life of the boy on that front cover. He looks like the Artful Dodger, come to life. I hope he had a lovely successful life; he certainly looked like he could take on any challenge.

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 17:44:59 +0000

Interesting group picture of the Spitalfields Nippers of Pearl Street, Spitalfields. My Paternal Great Grandmother’s family were Irish Catholics who lived in and around Little Pearl Street, Spitalfields in Victorian and Edwardian London. It’s remarkable to see Horace Warner’s pictures in such great detail showing so many happy smiling faces and look back at possible family members in those hard times.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 18:14:03 +0000

Truly amazing images which makes me feel very emotional looking at them.

By: achim

achim — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 20:54:52 +0000

Since 2014, I have had this wonderful book in dark green cloth and pasted-in frontispiece in my library (with dedication from the G.A.). It is without doubt one of the most beautiful of the Spitalfieldslife book range. I love it!

Love & Peace
ACHIM

By: Rick Armiger

Rick Armiger — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 19:36:50 +0000

Exceptional in every way
– the saga of the sleuthing
– the photographer’s immense skill
– the gentle authors enthusiasm and diligence
– and the solidity of those kids is breathtaking over 120 years later.

Just terrific

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 17:28:23 +0000

Excellent bit of archival sleuthing, Gentle Author! An exceptional photographic archive for the humanity with which it documents the East Ender pride that poverty could not dampen.
We have Dickens to describe the East End in words; now we have Horace Warner to match Dickens’ brilliance through his photographs.
Are there any further plans for making these astounding images available to the public? Future exhibitions, perhaps?

By: Paul Loften

Paul Loften — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 13:35:03 +0000

Thank you for the remarkable photos . They show a generation of children living in the East End just prior to the influx of Jewish immigrants in the early 1900’s . I have a school photo of my father taken in Spitalfields,with his class in the mid 1920’s and it shows perhaps a slight improvement in the children’s dress . At least they were receiving some education by then . I can’t say the children were living in better conditions by then as the houses were still the same. tiny back street hovels . Perhaps the overcrowding was a bit less . When you look at the school photo of my fathers class, the faces and posture of the children had a similarly rough and ready appearance. Scruffy with real attitude and ready to challenge anyone despite their size . It doesn’t surprise me that some of these kids made their way to the top .

By: Pat Wilkey

Pat Wilkey — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 12:10:40 +0000

Absolutely fantastic photographs, so clear.
Thank you

By: Cherub

Cherub — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 10:47:48 +0000

I like to think some of these children were able to have a good life as adults. The photos of the very poor ones dressed in rags with no shoes are upsetting, they all look so malnourished. God bless them all, whatever was ahead of them in life.

By: David Ellison

David Ellison — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 10:06:53 +0000

Superb collection – thanks for sharing.