Earlier this year I paid an impromptu visit to the Bishopsgate Institute in London where my photographic negatives are stored. I was delighted that the legendary archivist Stefan Dickers was sorting a pile of books, diaries, photographs and ephemera on his desk. An LP of Arnie schwarzenegger caught my eye. It seemed slightly out of place with an edition of ‘Socialism and the family’ by HG Wells but over the years I’ve learnt to expect anything in terms of what you might find on Stefan’s eclectic desk. Stefan was undecided about the catergory the LP might be placed in but I suspected it might end up in the fabulous LGBT history, politics and culture archive.

Stefan with Schwarzenegger’s total body workout. London, April 2018.

Stefan’s desk and a copy of Socialism and the family. London, April 2018.

Some diaries on Stefan’s desk destined for the archive. London, April 2018.

Stefan at his desk. London, April 2018.

Waiting to be put in the LGBT archive. London, April 2018.

Stefan at his desk. London, April 2018.

Stefan with a bikers club shield destined for the LGBT collection. London, April 2018.

The archive also holds a variety of collections for the study of labour and socialist history. This includes minutes of meetings attended by Karl Marx and material relating to the rebellious Poplar Councillors. There is also an interesting collection on the National Miners’ Support Network.

The collection holds a complete collection of the newspaper Militant. London, April 2018.

The Bishopsgate Institue first opened its doors on New Year’s Day 1895. The Great Hall was ‘erected for the benefit of the public to promote lectures, exhibitions and otherwise the advancement of literature, science and the fine arts’.

Photography played a role at Bishopsgate in its early days when crowds would flock to the Great Hall for ‘Magic Lantern’ shows where images of Victorian London and the world were projected from glass slides.

The magnificent mosaic floor at the institute. The Grade II listed building combines elements of the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau styles.

Stefan has organised the scanning of my negatives. Below are some photographs that have been scanned by so far as part of the Phil Maxwell collection.

Anti Poll Tax demo. Trafalgar Square 1990.

Two men in a Lodge Lane pub. Liverpool 1980.

Poll Tax Demo with Yorkshire Miners banner, Trafalgar Square, 1990.

Anti Poll Tax demonstration, 1990

On the underground in 1984.

In the Underground. London, 1985.

‘Outrage’ protest calling for Gay law reform. Derek Jarman & Jimmy Sommerville can be seen lieing down on the road before their arrest. London 1992.

Cafe on Brick Lane. East London 1983.

Chewing gum machine on Brick Lane. East London 1984.

Man selling bananas. Brick Lane, 1984.

Anti Racist demonstration, Whitechapel. East London, 1994.

Skateboarding on Whitechapel High Road. East London, 1984.

Whitechapel Road. East London, 1983.

You may also be interested in:

Modern Magic Lantern Show At The Bishopsgate Institute

Bishopsgate – Old & New

The Changing East End (19)

You can buy tickets & watch the trailer for the Liverpool Premiere of the latest documentary I’ve made with Hazuan Hashim here: Pensioners United