David Hoffman was interested in the area around Roman Road Street Market, in East London. Originally born and raised nearby, his parents had moved to the suburbs. In his twenties, David returned to the area to take photos of life at the time, in pubs, cafes, social clubs in East London, and on the market that runs along Roman Road. It seems to be much earlier than 1970, and shows how little had changed there since WW2.
A friendly crowd of drinkers in a local pub.
Dog traders in the market.
Old ladies celebrating something at a social club.
A Kosher Butcher catering to the large Jewish community.
This man is trying to sell string puppets, and busking to attract buyers.
Fans of old-school Rock and Roll dancing at a gathering near the market.
Ladies at a dance club.
A man selling various things next to his disability car.
Unlicensed traders selling at the edge of the market.
Two men selling assorted items from a pram.
An afternoon dance at a social club.
beetleypete 
I don’t know why, but somehow I miss this street trade, although I have never experienced it myself. This advertising from “Kleenex for Men” made me smile. I knew Kleenex exclusively as a cosmetic towel a few years ago. Lol xx Michael
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Kleenex for men is a paper tissue that is much larger than a normal one. The assumption is that men need larger tissues. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Reblogged this on https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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They could have been taken a few decades earlier, you are right. I love the faces more than anything else. What characters! Thanks for sharing those, Pete!
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He captured a time when so little had changed, just before it changed beyond recognition.
Thanks, Olga.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Most of these pictures look as if the people were making the most of their circumstances.
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I think that they accepted their lot in life and made the best of what they had, Robbie.
Best wishes, Pete.
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these are so fun and full of life!
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They might have been poor, but they knew how to enjoy themselves, Beth.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I love these old photos… it’s my childhood.
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I guessed you would relate to these, Stevie.
Best wishes, Pete.
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A truly different world back then…..chuq
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And only 1970 too!
Best wishes, Pete.
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(1) “No pub crawl for us. We’re still standing!”
(2) Overheard:
Man with eyeglasses: “This is a good river dog.”
Man with mutton chops: “Mine’s a reservoir dog.”
(3) The old ladies are celebrating the weight loss of the lady at right, who credits chain smoking for helping her lose 115 pounds in just six months.
(4) L. Herman waved his butcher knife at Mr. Fische and warned him, “Come one inch Kosher, and I’ll shish kebab ya!” (Unfortunately, Mr. Fische was a retired pirate who had a hook instead of a hand. I’m sorry to report that the confrontation didn’t end well for L. Herman.)
(5) I predict that the Free House won’t attract any buyers.
(6) The boy on the ground is making a W with his legs. I wonder Y.
(7) Those old ladies at the dance club are sad because there aren’t any boys on the ground ogling their sexy legs.
(8) Not only is the car disabled (three bald tires and a crutch; unable to hear the honking of its own horn; afflicted by a blind spot when driven), it’s allergic to asphalt (thus, the need for Kleenex).
(9) Those unlicensed traders didn’t think about trading some of their wares for a license?
(10) Are those teddy bears made in China? They look like pandas.
(11) The lady wearing the dark dress doesn’t seem to realize that she’s dancing with another woman. (The other woman has a husky voice, too. That’s why she didn’t raise any suspicions when she whispered, “Kiss me, Kate!”)
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A Free House is a pub that is not tied to a specific brewery. They cost more to rent or buy, but give the landlord more varied buying power.
Best wishes, Pete.
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So interesting, especially the social clubs! xxoo, C
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Not clubs I would want to be a member of though, Cheryl. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Most of these photos look pretty grim.
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It was a poor working-class area, Liz. And still is, to a large extent.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Smiles. Thank you for sharing. Warmest regards, Ed
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He captured the time and place very well, I think.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I love the image of the hat lady in the pub!
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The pub had only been open for around one hour, and she was already merry! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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That she was!
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Life was pretty desperate. I imagine many of those people were happy just to have survived the war but when it was over it was a whole different struggle. The pictures are sort of heart-breaking but they are part of history and should be seen. So often there is a little dog. Of course I always wanted to talk to anyone who had an animal with them. It would be nice to think life is better now but I know it’s not, sadly.
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This was 1970. The area has changed a lot since, with mass immigration, and redevelopment. But most of the people who live there are still poor working-class Londoners, Carolyn.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Another world back then
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It doesn’t seem to have changed since the late 1940s, Sue. Thirty years of stagnation.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I know…
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