A new photography exhibition captures homelessness in 1970s Whitechapel

A new exhibition offers a glimpse into life in Whitechapel in the 1970s.

It will feature images by photographer David Hoffman, a photojournalist whose subject matter includes racial and social conflict, policing, drug use, poverty and social exclusion.

Hoffman was living in a squatted Victorian tenement block in Whitechapel when he took the images on show at the exhibition. He described the area at the time as “a magnet for the homeless”.

The pictures show the unrest and marginalisation of groups, as well as the growing multiculturalism in the area.

Hoffman moved out of the tenement block when it was acquired by a housing association in 1982. “Rents were imposed and grew higher, some properties were demolished, but squatting saved much of the housing that we see there today,” he said. “As the area settled into its next phase, I moved on to photograph other people making their voices heard.”

The exhibition will be supporting Whitechapel-based homelessness charity Providence Row, which works to tackle the root causes of homelessness in London. Visitors making a purchase at the gallery will be given the option to top up their sale with a donation to the charity.

A Sort of Home: 1970s Whitechapel is at Gallery46, which is located in Whitechapel, from July 18 - August 15. Entry to the exhibition is free.