Histories of Whitechapel
Welcome to the Survey of London’s Whitechapel project, where you can share and explore the many histories of Whitechapel’s buildings and places.
On our map you’ll find information about every building in Whitechapel in 2016, including photographs, stories and research, film clips and audio recordings added by historians, local people and others with an interest in the area. It has grown in content since then up to 2019, a collaborative work in progress made up of the Survey’s own research alongside material that you and everyone else contributes.
This is an experiment in the making of the history of a place. Sharing our knowledge and experiences will help us to understand the histories of buildings, streets and neighbourhoods, and through them the lives of the people of Whitechapel. To start exploring, go to the map and click on a building to see content about that site, or you can explore buildings related to a particular historical period or theme.
If you have any information, research, images, or memories of Whitechapel, you can sign up and start contributing them here.
Stories Wanted
There are many buildings in Whitechapel about which we would welcome more information. If you know something, you can make an account or use the form below to tell us.
Latest Submissions
My great-grandparents around Brick Lane
Greater Whitechapel: Brune House | Sam_Griffin | Sept. 10, 2019
Census records from 1911 list my great-grandparents: Jacob and Betty Felixson, who came from 'Russia'. They lived at 90 Brick Lane with their seven children: Golda, Millie (both born in 'Russia'), Rebecca, Sam (my grandfather), Alfy, Meyer and Pinchas. Jacob's occupation was 'Costermonger' or 'Fruit Hawker'. My grandfather, Sam, was born at 4 Bell Lane1. He eventually moved ...
gentrification immigration markets
Browsing the Map
If you're not sure about how to get started, we've made a short video to give you a quick overview.
Explore Whitechapel
Not sure where to begin? Click on a theme to start uncovering Whitechapel's past. Sites are being tagged if they connect with certain overlapping aspects of Whitechapel's history, according to the thematic categories identified here.
