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Before the hipsters moved in

Photographer shares fascinating black-and-white images revealing what London’s trendy neighbourhood Dalston looked like in the 1980s

Photographer Andrew Holligan moved to the then unknown corner of the capital in 1984 after abandoning the New York fashion scene

IT’S famed for its all-night bars, gluten-free cafes, art-house cinema and independent clothing boutiques.

But back in the 1980s, Dalston – the now notoriously trendy east London suburb – was very different.

Photographer Andrew Holligan quit New York in 1984 and moved to Dalston with his American wife
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Photographer Andrew Holligan quit New York in 1984 and moved to Dalston with his American wifeCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS
Using a 1950s Rolleiflex camera, Andrew began documenting the people, the poverty and the humanity he saw
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Using a 1950s Rolleiflex camera, Andrew began documenting the people, the poverty and the humanity he sawCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS

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Photographer Andrew Holligan moved to the then unknown corner of the capital in 1984 after abandoning the New York fashion scene.

A friend owned a flat in Dalston and offered Andrew, then 27, and his American wife a place to stay.

With time on his hands, he headed out onto the streets and started to explore his new neighbourhood.

Using a 1950s Rolleiflex camera, Andrew began documenting the people, the poverty and the humanity he saw.

“I was just curious,” he told the .

“There was no motive behind the pictures. I roamed around where I was.”

Back in the 1980s, Dalston was a world away from the notoriously trendy east London suburb it is today
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Back in the 1980s, Dalston was a world away from the notoriously trendy east London suburb it is todayCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS
Andrew said he was 'just curious' and that there was no agenda or motivation behind the images he captured
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Andrew said he was 'just curious' and that there was no agenda or motivation behind the images he capturedCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS
After leaving Dalston two years later, Andrew stored the photographs away in an old cupboard in his West Sussex home
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After leaving Dalston two years later, Andrew stored the photographs away in an old cupboard in his West Sussex homeCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS
Thirty years on, the fascinating black and white images form the subject of a new book called Dalston in the 80s
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Thirty years on, the fascinating black and white images form the subject of a new book called Dalston in the 80sCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS
Alongside hand-written annotations from Andrew, the book paints a portrait of an area on the brink of gentrification
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Alongside hand-written annotations from Andrew, the book paints a portrait of an area on the brink of gentrificationCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS

After leaving Dalston two years later, he stored the photographs away in an old cupboard in his West Sussex home and “had no thought of them”.

Thirty years on, the fascinating black and white images form the subject of a new book called Dalston in the 80s, which has been created in collaboration with .

Alongside hand-written annotations from Andrew, the book paints a portrait of an area on the brink of gentrification.

Andrew, now 61, said: “There could have been a sense of gentrification when I moved there because a lot of artists were moving in. That could have been the stirring point.

“I wasn’t really trying to make a point at all. It was just a very personal kind of journey.

“I wasn’t looking for poverty or an ethnic multicultural thing. I don’t want to pass judgement on any place or anyone.

“Time and again it was just me going out and meeting the world.”

Andrew captures a woman in cigarette trousers and an oversized jacket drawing money out of the cash machine
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Andrew captures a woman in cigarette trousers and an oversized jacket drawing money out of the cash machineCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS
Andrew captured the stark canals, scrawled with political graffiti, as well as the east end streets and vibrant residents
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Andrew captured the stark canals, scrawled with political graffiti, as well as the east end streets and vibrant residentsCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS
Dalston in the 80s by Andrew Holligan is published by Hoxton Mini Press is available to buy online
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Dalston in the 80s by Andrew Holligan is published by Hoxton Mini Press is available to buy onlineCredit: HOXTON MINI PRESS

Dalston in the 80s by Andrew Holligan is published by Hoxton Mini Press, £14.95.

Available from 

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