Women Of The New East End
Contributing Photographer Sarah Ainslie took these portraits of women in Hackney as a commission for Hackney Museum. “I was aware there were a lot of women in the workplace but mostly in behind the scenes roles,” Sarah explained to me, “I wanted to give them visibly and also show the variety of work that women were doing.”
Sarah’s exhibition WOMEN OF THE EAST END AT WORK runs at the Brady Centre in Hanbury St from 5th-30th March as part of Women’s History Month – all are welcome at the opening on 6th March 6-8pm.
Terrie Alderton, Bus Driver
Loretta Leitch, Electrician
Rosemary More, Architect
Fontanelle Alleyne, Environmental Health Officer
Hackney Regristar of Births, Marriages & Deaths
Jenny Amos, Heating & Ventilation Engineer
Carol Straker, Dancer
Annie Johns, Sculptor
Sue Hopkins, Doctor at Lawson Practice Baby Clinic
Lilly Claridge, Age Concern Charity Shop Manager
Karen Francis & Carolyn Donovan, Dustwomen
Helen Graham, Street Sweeper
Denise Martin, Truck Driver
Judy Benoit, Studio Manager
Luz Hollingsworth, Fire Fighter
Diane Abbott, Member of Parliament
Dionne Allacker, Joanne Gillard, Winnifred John, Clothing Warehouse Supervisors
Lanette Edwards, Machinist
Nora Fenn, Buttonholist
Jane Harris, Carpenter
Eileen Lake, Chaplain at Homerton Hospital
Dr Costeloe, Homerton Hospital
Ivy Harris & E Vidal, Cleaners at Homerton Hospital
Sister Ferris Aagee, Homerton Hospital
Joan Lewis, Homerton Hospital
Sister Sally Bowcock
Valerie Cruz, Catering Assistant
K Lewis, Traffic Warden
Gerrie Harris, Acupuncturist
WPC Helen Taylor
Mary, Counter Assistant at Ridley’s Beigel Bakery
Mandy McLoughlin & Angela Kent, Faulkners Fish & Chip Restaurant
Terrie Tan, Driver at Lady Cabs
Maureen McLoughlin, Supervisor at Riversdale Laundrette
Anna Sousa, Hairdresser at Shampers
Jane Reeves, Councillor
Carolin Ambler, Zoo Keeper
Mrs Sherman, Dentist
Eileen Fisher, Police Domestic Violence Unit
Yvonne McKenzie, Jacqui Olliffe & Dirinai Harley, Supervisors at Oranges & Lemons Day Nursery
Jessica James, Active Birth Teacher
Di England, Supervisor at Free Form Arts
Sally Theakston, Chaplain, St John’s Hackney
Photographs copyright © Sarah Ainslie
Photographs courtesy Hackney Museum
Love these pictures and the various trades
The contrast between these and yesterday’s formal portraits is remarkable. Women as agents rather than subjects.
Productive, innovative, intrepid, focused, joyous, hopeful, eternal……..WOMEN.
Ladies, you rock. (and that includes photographer Sarah Ainslie. Wonderful series!)
What a truly wonderful, heartwarming and excellent set of photographs.In these very dark times it is crucial and necessary to show how far women have come and the progress they have made to empower themselves. Well done!
This was not the Hackney of the 50’s and 60’s that I grew up in. At one point in time , If you saw a woman driving a car down Mare St it would turn your head . Now my head has turned full circle. For those who have never lived through those previous generations it just a matter of course to see women do those jobs . For those of us men who can remember the world of “Men Only Jobs” seeing these women in action ,will always be a source of “secret” envy and amazement.
Great pictures! I would like to see some stay at home mums celebrated too, I believe this is such an important job often over looked.
Women taking prominent positions in the East End is not a new thing.
As a child in the 1930’s I new the Rev. Mary Collins who was the minister at North Bow Congregational Church that was in Roman Road. My father was at the time her Church Secretary.
She died in the London Hospital during the war, my father used to visit her there, she took an interest in me. She asked my father to bring me to visit her in the hospital, as she had heard that I was going to my new high school. She said that I would be learning French at this school, This wonderful woman on her death bed had sent to the British & Foreign Bible Society for a set of the Gospels in French that she said would help me in my studies.
Gary
Greetings from Boston,
GA, thanks for sharing Sarah Ainslee’s wonderful portraits from the Hackney Museum collection. Such variety and these women look proud to be engaged in their particular occupations.
Love these. Thanks Sarah.
love these informal portraits, especially the bunny wrangler!
A truly great set of photos. They are so down to earth and yet inspiring. All young girls should see these and know there are many paths in life.
These are like a new series of Cries of London — although the only crying is by a few newborns!
Fabulous!