The Working Class of the East End

Passing of Women's Legislation by Parliament

In 1928, women in the United Kingdom were given universal suffrage. From that time up until World War II and beyond, more and more women began breaking the boundaries that were previously laid out for them and they began being a part of the work force and it was becoming more common for women to stray from the Cult of Domesticity. This was especially important during World War II when women had to step up and take the place of many of the jobs that men had previously held but now had to abandon to go to war. After the war, women were more respected but also more ridiculed because men were now intimidated by women because they saw how easily women could replace them in their jobs and how much women were truly capable of. This was an important period in time because although legally women were given equal rights in 1928 by Parliament, socially, there was still inequality between men and women. Women’s work towards the war effort showed men that they were capable and that they were deserving of their rights. Additionally, after World War II when many countries had to be rebuilt both physically and economically, the more help, the better. Therefore, I believe speaking about the newfound independence and freedom of women during this time is important to note when looking at this image. It is assumed that the woman in At Charley Brown's Pub, Limehouse is a sex worker, however, since she is dressed quite modestly, I believe an argument could be made that she was a woman coming off of a shift as well as the men who are assumed to be getting off of work. As you can see, the woman is in pants and a shirt with a long jacket over it. Although it was becoming more popuiar for women to wear pants rather than a skirt or dress, it could still be seen as a risque thing in the 1940s. 

Evans, Sophie Jane. Those were the days: From England's pubs to Sheffield's steel industry and preparations for war - film archive reveals how life was in 1930s and 40s Britain. Daily Mail. 28 May. 2014. 

      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2641959/British-Council-film-a…

      Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.

Jones, Jasmine. 151 years of progress: A timeline of women's rights and gender equality in the UK. YahooLife. 8 Mar. 2017.

       https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/151-years-of-progress-a-timeline-of-wom…

     Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.

"The Slump" - The Great Depression in the United Kingdom

From 1930 to 1939 and forward, the United Kingdom, as did most of the world,  faced economic downfall and affected every class in some way. It began when the stock market on Wall Street in New York crashed. Although this depression began in the United States, it was not long until it took over Europe and the rest of the world. The crash subsequently created a domino effect of events; decreased consumerism, low demand for exports out of Europe, and an incredibly high unemployment rate. This time was extremely challenging and terrifying and no one knew what to do next and how to get out of the global panic that took over most of the world. Unemployment rates had increased by 150% while the number of exports had fallen by 50%. From the time of the Great Depression to when this photo of the pub was taken, the world was being rebuilt both from the Depression and then the effects of the Second World War. It was a time of hard work, but also of hope and finally being able to see a chance at a better future.

Brain, Jessica. The Great Depression. Historic UK.

      https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Great-Depression/

      Accessed 29 Mar. 2022. 

The Blitz

The Blitz was an eight month long bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, especially East London, by the Germans during World War II. During this time, the Docklands in the East End of London, where the pub Limehouse is located, contained some of the city's most important hubs for imports and had storafe areas for necessities that were needed to support the war effort. Due to this, it became a huge target for bombing raids. The Germans believed that if they could cut off this major hub, that the United Kingdom would have supply shortages and the overall country would be weaker and easier to overcome. After the first night of the Blitz, there were over 1900 casualties, and by the end of it, over 47,000 houses were destroyed. They even bombed Buckingham Palace in 1940. After this period and after the war, the East End was almost completely destroyed and much of the land was in ruins, meaning that there was a lot of work that went into rebuilding the city. The men in this photo most likely would have been dockworkers who stopped by the pub after work and the woman in the photo could have been a sex worker trying to make money in a time when the world was rebuilding its wealth after the Second World War. 

Oakley, Malcolm. World War 2 and East London. East London History. 7 Oct. 2013.

     https://www.eastlondonhistory.co.uk/world-war-2-east-london/

     Accessed 27 Mar 2022.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. the Blitz. Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2021.

     https://www.britannica.com/event/the-Blitz.

     Accessed 27 March 2022.

The economic downfall from the stock market crash caused the economy of the United Kingdom to do a tailspin and completely fall apart. With high unemployment rates and low demand for exports out of Europe, many people were scared of how they were going to be able to survive this time in their lives. Towards the end of the Great Depression was when World War II began. This photo by Bill Brandt takes place in the Docklands of London, on the East End. This was a hub for imports and exports for the United Kingdom and due to that, was a huge target for German bombers in the beginning of World War II. This was when the Blitz occurred for a period of about 8 months. The goal of the Germans was to weaken the country by not allowing it to get anything shipped in and for not getting anything sent out. After these bombings, London was nearly unrecognizable, and it took lots of hard work to rebuild the country back up to what it once was prior to the war. The time after World War II, when this photo of Charley Brown’s Pub was taken by Bill Brandt in 1945, was a time of growth, hope, and rebuilding. This was a time that called for all hands on deck. The men in this photo, most likely dockworkers, played a large role in rebuilding the country. They were the ones loading and unloading ships that were being sent in and out. They were the ones who were the backbone of the country who worked to make it a better place. In 1928, women in the United Kingdom were given universal suffrage. From that time up until World War II and beyond, more and more women began to be a part of the work force and become the “New Woman” that had many talents and skills.  During World War II, women had to step up and take the place of many of the jobs that men had to abandon to go to war. After the war, women believed that they should keep the jobs and be able to have a place in the work force.  This was an important period in time because although legally women were given equal rights in 1928 by Parliament, socially, there was still inequality between men and women. Women’s work towards the war effort showed men that they were capable and that they were deserving of their rights. Additionally, after World War II when many countries had to be rebuilt both physically and economically, the more help, the better. Therefore, I believe speaking about the newfound independence and freedom of women during this time is important to note when looking at this image. The men in this photo most likely would have been dockworkers who stopped by the pub after work and the woman in the photo could have been a sex worker trying to make money in a time when the world was rebuilding its wealth after the Second World War. However, I think that there is an argument that the woman in the photo is in fact not a sex worker and is a woman coming home from work. She may represent the modern woman at this time by wearing pants and a long coat, having short hair, and being in the Docklands of London, right where all of the docks were that were being loaded and unloaded. I believe that all three of these events: The Slump, the Blitz, and women entering the work force all had a great influence on this image.