Travellers’ Children In London Fields is a book of photographs by Colin O’Brien that reveals the fascinating lives of nomadic children growing up in rough and tumble East London during the 1980s.
O’Brien shot his first photo at age eight and continued to document London in pictures as he grew up, and the images in his book show how the city has changed since his childhood years.
The stark black-and-white photographs of children posing against walls and other backdrops have a striking, haunting quality, and their weary faces reveal a maturity beyond their tender age. At once captivating and poignant, these images tell of a time when life was tougher and grittier.
View some of O’Brien’s pictures below and purchase the book here.
[via It’s Nice That, images via Colin O’Brien and Spitalfields Life]