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EAST ENDED

Incredible pictures of 1960s and 70s East London reveal just how much capital has changed

Now and then photographs reveal the changing landscape of East London

GLORIOUSLY technicolour photos from a time long before Instagram present fascinating snapshots of a forever changed East End.

The previously undiscovered snapshots explore the years between 1960-80 across East London contrast strongly to how the same spots appear today.

Aldgate East station in the 1960s. On the left is Gardiners department store, once a stalwart of the London shopping scene
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Aldgate East station in the 1960s. On the left is Gardiners department store, once a stalwart of the London shopping sceneCredit: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
Aldgate East station as it appears today
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Aldgate East station as it appears todayCredit: Google Maps

All taken in Kodak colour, the shots by photographer David Granick show an area already in flux that would see unprecedented growth in the coming years.

That change is captured in a shot of the now-demolished Stifford Estate in Stepney Green, shown here in the year it was completed in 1961.

The modest-looked New Globe pub has now been turned into a hotel, while a general view shot of Aldgate East station captures a changing landscape around the London Underground station including the former department store stape Gardiners, now banished into obscurity.

Meanwhile, a snapshot of 1970s fashion is provided in a building shot shot around the site of Watney market in 1974.

The New Globe pub in Mile End Road, 1977
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The New Globe pub in Mile End Road, 1977Credit: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
The New Globe in Mile End Road, 2018
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The New Globe in Mile End Road, 2018Credit: Google Maps
West India Docks, 1971. The three docks on the Isle of Dogs closed to commercial traffic in 1980, and Canary Wharf was built on the site
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West India Docks, 1971. The three docks on the Isle of Dogs closed to commercial traffic in 1980, and Canary Wharf was built on the siteCredit: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
West India Docks, 2018
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West India Docks, 2018Credit: google maps
Belhaven Street, 1977
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Belhaven Street, 1977Credit: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
The area around what was Belhaven Street has completely changed after the existing homes there were demolished
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The area around what was Belhaven Street has completely changed after the existing homes there were demolishedCredit: Google Maps

The market still exists, but a shadow of its former place at the heart of East End life.

The East End as a thriving hub of industry is also a fixture of the past, as evidenced by a shot of the busy West India Docks in 1971.

The thriving port closed to commercial ventures less than a decade later and was developed into Canary Wharf.

The photos all lay forgotten until the colour slides were stumbled on by photographer Chris Dorley-Brown at the Tower Hamlets archive centre.

The book's front cover shows the George Tavern in its glory days, in 1969
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The book's front cover shows the George Tavern in its glory days, in 1969Credit: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
Amazingly, the George Tavern is still standing, while the surrounding buildings have changed beyond recognition
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Amazingly, the George Tavern is still standing, while the surrounding buildings have changed beyond recognitionCredit: Google Maps
Watney Market, 1974
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Watney Market, 1974Credit: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
Watney Market today
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Watney Market todayCredit: Getty - Contributor
Spitalfields Market, 1973
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Spitalfields Market, 1973Credit: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
Christ Church in Spitalfields remains a familiar landmark around the market, while on the surface, street life has changed beyond recognition
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Christ Church in Spitalfields remains a familiar landmark around the market, while on the surface, street life has changed beyond recognitionCredit: Google Maps
Stifford Estate, Stepney Green, 1961. The estate was completed in the same year but demolished 40 years later
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Stifford Estate, Stepney Green, 1961. The estate was completed in the same year but demolished 40 years laterCredit: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
The former Stifford Estate has vanished without trace, with other blocks of flats appearing in its place
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The former Stifford Estate has vanished without trace, with other blocks of flats appearing in its placeCredit: Google Maps

From the waters to landmarks of a bygone era, these photos pay a poignant tribute to a fast-changing time for the East End.

The East End in Colour 1960-1980 by David Granick is published by Hoxton Mini Press, 16.95 .

The book coincides with an exhibition running 3 February - 5 May 2018 at   .

Photographic copyright: David Granick / Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

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