Whitechapel

[biglouis]

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I decided to put these photos in the Landscape and Travel section because if you are coming to London do try to get away from the traditional tourist areas and see another side of the metropolis.

 

Whitechapel is one of the most dramatically contrasting areas of London. It resides in the borough of Tower Hamlets which is the second most deprived local authority in the UK. The borough also contains Canary Wharf which outside of the Square Mile is one of the richest financial centres in the world.

 

I decided that I had to try and communicate the history, social interest and humanity of this area in just 3 photographs out of the 100 or so I took recently. I hope this works.

 

"Whitechapel High Road has the widest pavements in London and is the hub of the Bangladeshi community who account for 30% of the population of Tower Hamlets. This is a typical stall in front of the newly opened "Ideas Store", operated by Tower Hamlets College with the intention of increasing access to communications and technology"

 

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"Traffic stops at the corner of Whitechapel High Road and Cambridge Heath Road. The dominating vista of 30 St Mary Axe and Tower 42 underlines how within the space of a mile economies and lifestyles change dramatically."

 

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"I was very fortunate on the day I chose to take these photographs that by coincidence maintenance work was taking place in the Old Jewish Cemetary in Brady Street. Although normally shut to visitors I was allowed inside. Surrounded by high walls and largely overgrown with trees and shrubs this is an oasis of calm in an otherwise turbulent and busy area. While I was taking this photograph the biggest fox I have ever seen casually lolloped past, although too quick for me to capture in a photograph. These headstones date from around the 1850s and denote the grave a member of the priestley family sect."

 

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All taken on the trusty D-LUX 2.

[ejd]

The second in particular is very striking. I didn't realize the gherkin loomed so large from Whitechapel. It's a terrific part of London for history and atmosphere -- full of facinating things. (I worked some years ago at Queen Mary College, so made many journeys up and down that road.) Maybe you should post more of your Whitechapel pictures. John

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[earleygallery]

Oh, my old office! That's a very good view of the Gherkin. Yes, post more! Any of Brick Lane?

[biglouis]

Oh, my old office! That's a very good view of the Gherkin. Yes, post more! Any of Brick Lane?

 

One or two but I actually have to go back and concentrate on Brick Lane as a subject in its own right. Below is an obvious subject to be revisited. I have a number of pictures from the surrounding streets at my web site.

 

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[stuny]

Big -

 

I like this series. Also, please note the hand position as carved on the Jewish headstone. It is the same as Mr. Spock's greating. Leonard Nimoy was brought up in a traditional Jewish home with conservative or orthodox practices, which is where he saw the hand position, and adopted it for Spock.

[elansprint72]

#2 is good; #3 is even better

 

btw, I was rummaging for something else and came across this thread, which I'd missed.