On Tuesday 3 November, I gave a talk at Hackney Archives as part of the Friends of Hackney Archives AGM, sharing the stories of seven local history treasure troves and the people who collected, preserved and rediscovered them. It was great to see Hackney Archives packed, with all 120 places booked within three days of tickets becoming available.
The 45-minute talk featured 150 slides of photographs, documents and video clips, exploring collections relating to Stoke Newington’s history. Some were assembled over decades by dedicated local historians, while others were discovered in attics, cupboards and even a shed! The full recording of the talk is now available to watch below, alongside photographs from the evening.
Watch the full talk
The seven treasure troves
The talk explored seven collections, each offering a different perspective on Stoke Newington’s past:
- Derek Baker’s Stoke Newington encyclopaedia – Over 40 years of local history research, preserved in 27 large folders containing photographs, documents and research notes.
- The Joseph Beck Archive (1884–1889) – A collection of 175 documents recording the campaign to save Clissold Park from development, which I photographed, catalogued and transcribed.
- Peter Forster’s collection – Photographs and relics documenting 187 Stoke Newington High Street between 1979 and 1981.
- Ben’s Shop, 180 Stoke Newington Road – Surviving material documenting the history of a local business.
- Frederick Arthur Wirth’s photographs (1920–1970) – A photographic record of Stoke Newington spanning five decades.
- The W. H. Jones Printers’ Catalogue – A surviving printers’ catalogue rediscovered in a shed.
- The Clissold Park User Group Archive (1987–2010s) – Hundreds of documents recording decades of community involvement in the preservation and improvement of Clissold Park.
One of the highlights of the evening was seeing part of Derek Baker’s archive on display at Hackney Archives. It was the first time in ten years that I’d seen some of his research cards, which I last encountered in his study.
Together, these collections demonstrate how much of our local history survives thanks to individuals who take the time to collect, document and preserve it.
Photographs from the evening
Thank you to the Friends of Hackney Archives for inviting me to speak, to the Hackney Archives team for hosting the event, and to everyone who attended. It was a pleasure to share the stories behind these collections and the people who helped preserve them.