Back in the late 1970s it contained some of the worst poverty in Britain and was still trying to recover from the heavy bombardment it received in the Blitz during World War II.
It was also the scene of some ugly, violent racist incidents as a wave of Bangladeshi immigrants moved in to make the capital their new home and sometimes got a hostile reception.
During this time local resident Paul Trevor decided to quit his job as an accountant when he was 25 and instead take up his camera to portray life on the iconic London road.
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The self-taught photographer has now gathered the stunning pictures together in a new book called Once Upon a Time in Brick Lane.
The introduction, written by author and screenwriter Alan Gilbey, who also hails from the East End, says: “…looking at Paul’s photographs, you can see all the special, fleeting, human moments…
“With the flick of a shutter, at the perfect time, these people live again. Even in monochrome, there is so much life.”
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