Dispersal

Dispersal is a unique photographic record of the Stratford area’s industrial and historical past.

From November 2005 to June 2007, Debra Rapp and Marion Davies were welcomed into 70 businesses, capturing individuals the workplace and its atmosphere.  From belt makers, to kebab manufacturers and salmon smoking, spare car-part suppliers to zinc galvanisers, this area was a melting pot of industries and trades.

This photographic series manages to connect with many people: from those interested in London’s social and economic history to the business community, from the photography and art enthusiasts to Londoners and tourists alike. Images have been exhibited at the Thames Gateway Forum, the opening of the H Forman & Son smoked salmon factory, and at the Rosetta Windows Gallery, a pop-up exhibition funded by the Architecture Foundation and at the View Tube, located opposite the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The Museum of London acquired prints from the Collection and also recorded interviews of key individuals photographed in Dispersal for their oral history archive.

In September 2017, Historic England published Dispersal: Picturing urban change in east London, a beautiful illustrated book, which showcases images from the archive alongside an academic text by Juliet Davis, architect and Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Urban Design.

The following images are a small selection from some 5,000 images taken – many of which appear in the book.