Eastside Community Heritage
Eastside Community Heritage’s oral history, film and photographic collection covers the history of one of London’s most diverse boroughs, and so almost everything in their collections is relevant to many of the cultural groups in London. You can see a very detailed catalogue of all their holdings by going to www.hidden-histories.org.uk, clicking on “news and events” and choosing “new ECH catalogue”. The description on this page describes holdings that highlight individual cultural groups. Much of the material has been made into publications and videos. If you would like to see the archive itself, please make an appointment with Judith at office@ech.org.uk
Read more detailed collection information at the Hidden Histories website
More venue information >
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Good Hair Day - an Eastside Community Heritage publication
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African
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African: Somali
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Asian
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Asian: Bangladeshi
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Asian: Chinese
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Asian: Indian
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Caribbean
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Cross-cultural
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Religious Group: Islam
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Religious Group: Jewish
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Religious Group: Sikh
African
Collections include: Black Inventors Patent Potential – a workshop with storytelling at Manor Park Museum exploring the work of black inventors. There are 13 photographs in the collection. Chunchie describes West Ham’s black and asian community in the 1920s and 30s including the life of Kamal Chunchie, founder of the Coloured Men’s Institute. The material includes 89 photographs, 8 objects or memorabilia, a book called The Other East Enders and a video. Nurses describes how overseas nurses and doctors played a significant role in filling the gaps in the newly formed National Health Service. It includes interviews with nurses who came to England in the late forties/early fifties. The material includes 4 transcripts, 40 photographs, a publication and a CD Rom. Trendsetters describes a black fashion and history project involving teenage girls from schools in East London. The material includes 12 digital videos, 2 transcripts, 183 objects or memorabilia, 22 digital photograph collections, a CD Rom and a website
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African: Somali
The Hijab contains interviews with Muslim women of Bengali and Somali origins. Discussion on the significance of the Hijab, reactions to the Hijab, and the wearing of cosmetics. The material consists of one minidisk and one transcript
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Asian
Chunchie describes West Ham’s black and asian community in the 1920s and 30s including the life of Kamal Chunchie, founder of the Coloured Men’s Institute. The material includes 89 photographs, 8 objects or memorabilia, a book called The Other East Enders and a video.
The Changing Face of Brick Lane describes the diverse fashions of Brick Lane, one of the East End’s most famous streets and the memories of the various immigrant communities that live there, in particular stories from Jewish and Bengali communities with a focus on weddings. There are seven minidisks, 3 digital videos and six transcripts. The Hijab contains interviews with Muslim women of Bengali and Somali origins. Discussion on the significance of the Hijab, reactions to the Hijab, and the wearing of cosmetics.
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Asian: Bangladeshi
The Changing Face of Brick Lane describes the diverse fashions of Brick Lane, one of the East End’s most famous streets and the memories of the various immigrant communities that live there, in particular stories from Jewish and Bengali communities with a focus on weddings. There are seven minidisks, 3 digital videos and six transcripts. The Hijab contains interviews with Muslim women of Bengali and Somali origins. Discussion on the significance of the Hijab, reactions to the Hijab, and the wearing of cosmetics.
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Asian: Chinese
Chinese Lives focuses on the Chinese community in East London. The material includes an oral history archive and material from an exhibition created in 1997. New material was added in 2005. There are 4 audio cassettes, 2 minidisks, 2 transcripts, 37 photographs and online material.
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Asian: Indian
Malayalee Community – Oral history interviews from the Malayalee Community documenting views and memories of coming to live in the UK. The material consists of one digital video and seven transcripts. Malayalee Association – 5 colour photographs of the Malayalee cultural event at Ilford Town Hall, including performers from Kerika, India. End of the Raj consists of 40 photographs from the Indian Raj era, plus 10 audiocassettes and 3 objects or memorabilia. Beckton Mela – A journalism and oral history project involving young people from Windsor Park estate. They conducted interviews and wrote reviews of the Beckton Mela event. The material consists of 6 audiocassettes and 49 photographs.
The Changing Face of Brick Lane describes the diverse fashions of Brick Lane, one of the East End’s most famous streets and the memories of the various immigrant communities that live there, in particular stories from Jewish and Bengali communities with a focus on weddings. There are seven minidisks, 3 digital videos and six transcripts. The Hijab contains interviews with Muslim women of Bengali and Somali origins. Discussion on the significance of the Hijab, reactions to the Hijab, and the wearing of cosmetics.
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Caribbean
Collections include: Dominica UK Association – videos of the DUKA cultural event showcase including Patsy Scott singer, Pedro Burgess, steel drums, Tom Harris, storyman and June Grell, singer storyteller, singing in patois and in English. There are 2 digital videos, 37 photographs and one digital photograph collection. Franklin Georges – an interview with a retired industrial relations officer for Haringey who was born in Guadeloupe in the West Indies and moved to England in 1962. Black Inventors Patent Potential – a workshop with storytelling at Manor Park Museum exploring the work of black inventors. There are 13 photographs in the collection. Chunchie describes West Ham’s Black and Asian community in the 1920s and 30s including the life of Kamal Chunchie, founder of the Coloured Men’s Institute. The material includes 89 photographs, 8 objects or memorabilia, a book called The Other East Enders and a video. Nurses describes how overseas nurses and doctors played a significant role in filling the gaps in the newly formed National Health Service. It includes interviews with nurses who came to England in the late forties/early fifties. The material includes 4 transcripts, 40 photographs, a publication and a CD Rom. Redbridge Museums Project – linked to the Nurses project it covers Caribbean nurses who came to the UK in the 1950s and 60s. There are 19 audio cassettes, 14 transcripts, 41 photographs, 22 objects or memorabilia, and one digital photography collection. Trendsetters describes a black fashion and history project involving teenage girls from schools in East London. The material includes 12 digital videos, 2 transcripts, 183 objects or memorabilia, 22 digital photograph collections, a CD Rom and a website. War Memories describes war memories from the West Indies.
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Cross-cultural
Much of the Eastside Community Heritage material reflects the multiculturalism of East London – for a complete list of material, see www.hidden-histories.org.uk Most of the material centres around oral history. Subjects covered include a postwar history of Canning Town, Common Ground – material from young people learning English as a second language; East Ham Markets; East London photographs; a faith exhibition covering diverse faith groups across the community; Green Street – a project around this vibrant and multicultural East London street; Moving Stories - interviews with retired workers in Newham;Newham Women – describing the lives of 14 women; Silvertown – a history of the changing uses of the area; Teviot Estate – describing life on the estate in Poplar through memories of the residents.
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Hidden Histories website
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Religious Group: Islam
The Hijab contains interviews with Muslim women of Bengali and Somali origins. Discussion on the significance of the Hijab, reactions to the Hijab, and the wearing of cosmetics. Muslim Womens Association of Havering Mela. Vox pop interviews, including conversation with the Mela organisers. There are 2 microcassettes, 1 VHS, 197 photographs, 1 digital photograph collection and 4 objects or memorabilia.
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Religious Group: Jewish
The collections include: Barkingside Jewish Youth Club – interviews with 11 – 14 year olds about their hobbies, interests and school. There are nine audiocassettes and one transcript in the collection. The Changing Face of Brick Lane describes the diverse fashions of Brick Lane, one of the East End’s most famous streets and the memories of the various immigrant communities that live there, in particular stories from Jewish and Bengali communities with a focus on weddings. There are seven minidisks, 3 digital videos and six transcripts. Essex Girls worked with a group of Jewish youths in Redbridge: this project looks at their responses to the connotations of the term “Essex girl”. It also looks at how religion affects fashion in their daily life. There are two transcripts, 5 photographs and a CD Rom Earlham Grove Shul is an account of the first 100 years of the West Ham Synagogue and its Jewish community in London. There are 65 photographs, 21 pieces of memorabilia and a publication.
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Religious Group: Sikh
New for Old. Many Sikhs in London are now born here rather than moving here from India or Africa. The project talked to young Sikhs in Redbridge about culture, life in London, language, religion and fashion. The material consists of one minidisk and one transcript.
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