"Banglatown" on the East Side of London

The first time I visited London (while I was in high school), I stayed near Euston and was surprised at the substantial Indian presence there.  I didn't think much of it at the time, but after experiencing Brick Lane a few times since coming here in January, I've come to learn more about the presence of the Bangladeshi community and how it came to be in London.

Currently there are over 150,000 Bangladeshi people living in London.  Having ruled over India since 1776, the rule of the British Empire there officially ceased in 1947.  Later when East Pakistan became the Republic of Bangladesh in 1971, thousands of people from the Sylhet region sought a new life in the UK.  The immigrants that arrived during the 1950s and 1960s were primarily looking for employment opportunities.  Those that came during the 1970s, however, sought refuge and stability amidst the conflict with West Pakistan.  

Aside from the tensions with West Pakistan, many Bangladeshis came to the UK during the 1970s with the encouragement of new immigration laws.  The mass wave of immigrants that arrived were initially confined to low-wage work in the garment industry.  This all changed as more and more people began to open up Bangladeshi restaurants serving authentic Indian food.   The success of these restaurants resulted in the development of Brick Lane as we know it today.  

The success story of the Bangladeshis that came to the UK is not limited to their success on Brick Lane; now the people who started as immigrants are watching the third generation of their people make a political and sociall impact.   Many people from this Bangladeshi background are now serving on town councils in the Tower Hamlets and Newham.  There is an ongoing struggle to gain further representation in government, however the people of Brick Lane and surrounding areas of South and East London have made and continue to make significant strides each year.  

Source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/27/bangladeshi_london_feature.shtml

Carnaby Street and the Swinging Sixties: Where It All Began

They seek him here, they seek him there,

His clothes are loud, but never square.

It will make or break him so hes got to buy the best,

cause hes a dedicated follower of fashion.

They seek him here, they seek him there,

In regent street and leicester square.

Everywhere the carnabetian army marches on,

Each one an dedicated follower of fashion.

                                                   -The Kinks

In 1964, Carnaby Street staked its place as the ultimate trend-setting street; it picked up the pulse on the political and sexual revolutions taking place and reflected them in mod fashion.  Styles including miniskirts, kaftans, and counter-cultural phrases had their popular debut here and soon swept the world.  

John Stephen is often considered the father of Carnaby Street.  His first shop called His Clothes was soon followed by his outlets Mod Male and Male West One.  These stores sold "hipster trousers, floral shirts, mini kilts for men, low-slung elephant cord trousers, androgynous velvet double-breasted jackets, and caftans for men" and attracted the celebrities of the day, including The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones.  

Once it became known that these bands were shopping as His Clothes, teenagers and young adults flocked to Carnaby Street to shed their conservative attire for this new funky style.  They saw fashion as a way of expressing their distaste with the conventional ideas under which they had been raised.  Furthermore, they were rejecting the Vietnam War as protests swept the city in 1966.  There was a general air of protest and anti-establishmentarianism that could certainly be felt on Carnaby Street in the Sixties. 

Today, the fashion advances made on Carnaby Street can still be seen on the younger generation.  In addition to reverting to the mod style, our generation has also developed a few revolutionary styles of our own including the low-rise jean.  What has made a greater impact on our generation, however, has been the sense of rebellion, protest, and liberalism that characterize the Swinging Sixties.  

Sources:  http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/features/1960s/exhibition/swinging_london/index.html,  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/john-stephen-creator-of-carnaby-street-honoured-for-his-contribution-to-london-505332.html, http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.44

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

A few weeks ago, I was in a little vintage shop in Covent Garden when I saw an old red poster plastered with this statement.  I was struck by how simple yet bold its message was.  Since first seeing that poster, I've run into it a lot; not only have I seen more posters of it, but I've also seen people sporting the t-shirt version of it.  When I looked into ordering one on-line, I decided to also look  into the history of this poignant poster.  

By Spring of 1939, England had come to face the harsh reality of a looming war against Germany.  The British people truly feared the worst:  gas attacks, bombings, even invasion.  In order to quell these fears, the Ministry issued a group of propaganda posters.  They essentially sought to create calm before the storm.  

The design was decidedly simple and featured a "special and handsome typeface" that would get the message across.  Above the text, King George's crown provided the only graphic image.  Overall, the King wanted to convey that "all necessary measures to defend the nation were being taken." The goal was truly to convey an "attitude of mind" that would prepare the people for war.  

This particular design was one of three that were commissioned in 1939 with a budget of £26,000 for five million posters.  All of the designs featured King George's crown and were set in white font against a red background.  The first design stated "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory."  The second design featured the bold words "Freedom is in Peril."  It was the third design, however, that won the big bid of 2.5 million posters.  

While the first two posters were distributed immediately in 1939 and soon canvassed shops, railways, and other public areas, the "Keep Calm and Carry On" design was kept aside; the government wanted to reserve it for times of dire crisis or invasion.  As such, this poster did not appear in public at all during the war.  It was only 50 years later, when someone discovered this poster in a box of old books from an auction, that its ascent to fame and recognition and began.  Two shopowners decided to hang this poster next to their register.   It soon became to popular that they decided to reproduce it.

I think it is fascinating to see how popular this poster has become.  Its message is so concise yet poignant:  Keep Calm and Carry On.  I feel that the recent popularity of such a slogan can be attributed to the current status of the world; people now have to increasingly face financial and military realities and worries.  This simple message certainly offers a bit of reassurance in the chaos.  

Source:  http://www.barterbooks.co.uk/keepcalm.php

Football: More than Just a Game

Earlier this week, Chelsea F.C. faced Liverpool in an epic match.  Walking around Kensington that day, it was a sea of blue jerseys supporting Chelsea.  Around game time, the pubs became a mad house; there were even "bobbies" on hand to control the crowds.  We joined in the action at Prince of Teck on Earls Court.  Watching the game among the people of the area we live was an incredible experience; it was yet another example of just how much of a cultural component football has here.  

The day after the game (which Chelsea won in dramatic fashion!), I picked up a Times to read about the reactions.  While there were certainly plenty of articles celebrating Chelsea's victory, I was intrigued by one that talked about a past tragedy at Anfield, Liverpool's stadium on that day in 1989.  

Twenty years ago (on April 15), 96 Liverpool fans were crushed when the stadium's superintendent ordered workers to open certain gates in an effort to relieve congestion.  Fans were outraged at the deaths of these people because they felt that they were not fully addressed by the government.  The large decline in manufacturing that occurred throughout England beginning in 1981 also certainly added to the fans' tensions as Liverpool is a major industrial city.  

This tragedy eventually became to be known as the Hillsborough Disaster.  When Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State of Culture, Media, and Sport stood to address the crowds at the Hillsborough remembrance this week, he did so among cries of "justice" and "truth" from angry fans.   

The entire remembrance ceremony that took place to honor the fallen fans was truly remarkable; not only did 30,000 fans fill Anfield stadium at the exact minute those fans lost their lives, but the entire city of Liverpool joined in the ceremony.  In the city, the tunnels and transportation closed and people left their homes and businesses to pour into the streets.  There they linked arms, bowed their heads, and joined in a two minute commemorative silence.  The only sound that could be heard in the entire city was that of the city's two cathedrals ringing bells.  

The image of this greatly struck me.  The football culture here permeates everything; fans' dedication to their teams is not confined to the walls of the stadium, it spills out into the streets and homes of every family in the team's city.  

Source:  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6100611.ece, http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.46

 

Art for All: Everyday Design on the Underground

A ride on the London Underground is never a dull one; not only do you encounter people from nearly every walk of life, but you also come face to face with some amazing poetry, music, and artwork.  These things are all a result of the "art for all" campaign of the early twentieth century sought to bring a taste of London to its main transport system.  

This campaign began with Frank Pick when he joined the London Transport company in 1906.  Pick was truly a revolutionary in his field; he pioneered a very subtle yet poignant style when selecting posters for the Underground.  He truly aimed to develop an Underground culture that all people could experience through these posters.  He said that "There is room in posters for all styles ... It is possible to move from the most literal representation to the wildest impressionism as long as the subject remains understandable to the man in the street."

Indeed, Pick always kept the "man in the street" in mind above all when selecting designs.  His overall goal when working with Harry Beck to develop a map of the Underground was to make it bold and easy to understand.  The London Tube map is now iconic among transport systems worldwide.  

An interesting extension of the Art for All campaign, is the poetry and music hosted by Transport for London today.  The music on the Underground is performed by sanctioned "buskers."  At least 400 of these buskers perform over 3,000 events in tube stations each week.  Because they must be licensed, these performers are quite good; some have even performed before the Queen.  What I love most about these buskers is the variety of music they play; it is quite common to get on the tube to the tune of Eric Clapton and get off to an opera singer.  

Like the art and music, the poetry selected to be on the Underground covers a wide array of tastes and styles.  The Poems on the Underground program began in 1986 by selecting a mixture of both contemporary and historical writing.  Today the poems have become very popular; you can even purchase books at the Transport Museum that offer the poems for each year since the programs beginnings.

I think art is featured on the Underground because London is a city that is truly dedicated to maintaining a thriving culture.  The mass transport system is the perfect way to expose large numbers of citizens to works of art, music, and poetry.  Each of these elements work together to both make and pick up on the pulse of the city.  

As Gerard Benson, Judith Cernaik, and Cicely Herbet  (the original pioneers of the Poems on the Underground Campaign) state so eloquently in the introduction of the 1991-1993 Poems on the Undergound book,  "We were Londoners by birth or adoption, habitual users of public transport, lovers of poetry.  We shared the conviction that poetry is a popular, living art and that the pleasures of rhythm and rhyme are a part of common life."

Source:  London Transport Museum

Where Have All the Trash Cans Gone?!

Have Life is London so far has been one of delightful adjustment; I'm finally getting comfortable with the Tube, saying "football" instead of "soccer," and eating take-away baguettes. Something that I still have not gotten used to is the devastating shortage of trashcans in Central London. Everyday when I get home to my flat, I have to fish out the 2 pounds of garbage that I have collected throughout the day. Furthermore, it is all too common to see bags of trash collected in (albeit) tidy piles on the streets. My annoyance with this led me to research this issue a bit further. Of course, this led me to yet another blog post related to Ireland in the 20th Century!

The Provisional IRA began their London bombing campaign in the early 1970s. In 1973 alone, the Provos successfully planted 36 bombs in London. Their goal in bringing the violence of Northern Ireland to the heart of the UK was to turn the British people against their government and thus push for independence from Northern Ireland.

Trash cans eventually proved to be the perfect vessel for IRA bombs. By using trash bins, they were able to target crowded areas and thus make an impact in the media and get a reaction from the government. In 1991, the IRA planted a bomb in a trash can at the bustling Victoria Station. Two years later, several children were killed in yet another trash can bomb. Londoners at this time faced a constant state of fear that undoubtedly disrupted their lives and safety for over thirty years. The removal of a vast majority of the trash cans in Central London may seem a bit trivial, but it had a profound effect on the sense of normalcy that we value so highly in Western societies.

Although the IRA bombing campaign officially (and actually) ended in 2005, the British are taking steps to ensure that trash can bombings will no longer be an issue. London is set to be the first city to try bomb-proof trash cans. These trash cans, which will also be recycling bins with LCD screens that display travel information and news updates, were developed by British company Media Metrica. According to that company they "weigh one ton each, and were tested in the lifeless deserts of New Mexico for five years to ensure they are completely, totally indestructible, can absorb heat from explosives, prevent shrapnel spread, and extinguish "fireballs."" In the midst of the current economic crisis, these futuristic trash cans may be a ways off, but the fact that they are even being considered is indicative of the past and present times.

Sources: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Collections/OnlineResources/X20L/Themes/1380/1150/, http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/31/londons-new-bomb-proof-trash-cans-will-survive-the-apocalypse/, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E7DB1E39F93BA25757C0A960958260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/B/Bombs%20and%20Explosives&scp=2&sq=london%20ira%20trash%20can%20bomb&st=cse

Art Nouveau in Prague

Last weekend, I visited Prague for the first time and absolutely fell in love with the architecture there; it is such an intriguing mixture of its rich history. Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo styles of architecture dominate most of the city, but I was especially impressed by the more modernist Art Nouveau style that has a very strong presence.

As an artistic genre, Art Nouveau was largely a response to the Industrial Revolution. While the rise of industry led to the mass production of identical goods, Art Nouveau sought to make unique items from the same materials used in factory production. By using organic and natural forms in their work, these artist were rejecting the rigid industrial form.

Although the Art Nouveau movement began in the late 18th Century in Paris, it did not reach the Czech Republic until the early 20th Century. Alfons Much, a native Czech artist, did the most to bring about this movement both in Prague and throughout the rest of Europe. As a strong advocate of Slavic separtism, Mucha was able to make his artistic mark after Czechoslovakia gained its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire after WWI. In 1920, Mucha went to work for the new Czech government. While he designed standard banknotes and official documents, he also created the stained glass windows at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle.

Sources: http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_intro.shtm, http://www.abcgallery.com/M/mucha/muchabio.html