Survey of London: Histories of Whitechapel

Overview

In 2016, the Survey of London launched an in-depth study of Whitechapel, a district located at the heart of the East End. Whitechapel has a long and complex history that was shaped by patterns of immigration embracing German, Irish, East European, Jewish and Bengali Muslim populations. Whitechapel’s rich history made it an excellent testing ground for combining the Survey of London’s high standards for detailed research with new methodologies, working with local communities to document the built environment.

The Histories of Whitechapel project was conceived as an experiment in the creation and dissemination of urban history, winning a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. In collaboration with The Bartlett’s Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, the Survey of London created an interactive map-based website to facilitate the public co-production of research. Project partners included Tower Hamlets Council, the Whitechapel Gallery, the East London Mosque and Historic England. Public collaboration was enriched by workshops, exhibitions, oral history interviews, and the organisation of a local history festival.

The project made a significant contribution to awareness and knowledge of Whitechapel’s history, buildings and places. The website was open for contributions until 2019 and now serves as a public virtual repository, with scholarly text, personal memories, images and voice recordings. The website inspired several spin-offs, including A Memory Map of the Jewish East End. The project also resulted in an eponymous major publication, with Volumes 54 and 55 in the Survey of London’s main series due to be published in 2022.