PHIL MAXWELL

Cyclists

March 26, 2013

The most sustainable and economical way to travel must be by bicycle. Here is my tribute to the great pedal machine.

Cyclists on Whitechapel Road, c.1988

Cyclists on the Chicksand Estate, c.1988

Cyclist with carriage attached, Dhaka 2009

Cyclist in Whitechapel, c.2007

Cyclist in Whitechapel, 2012

Cyclist in Dhaka, 2009

Bicycle rickshaws are the most popular modes of transport in Bangladesh and are available for hire throughout the country including the capital city Dhaka, known as the “Rickshaw Capital of the World“. The rickshaws here are carrying passengers but they are often adapted to transport all sorts of goods. Because of inflation and unemployment in the rural areas, people from villages crowd in the cities to become rickshaw drivers locally called the riksha-wala.

Rickshaw in Dhaka with driver waiting for passengers, 2008

Rickshaw with two passengers, Dhaka 2008

Rickshaw with passenger, Dhaka 2008

Whitechapel Road

March 24, 2013

As I leave my flat I am a minute away from Whitechapel Road and its market. As a photographer I’ve always relished it as a place for photographing people. Every day there are so many different characters there. Here are a few.

Man on Whitechapel Road, c.1983

Woman on Whitechapel Road, c.1983

Man on Whitechapel Road, 1987

Woman on Whitechapel Road, 2008

Osbourne Street

March 23, 2013

This sight on Osbourne Street leading on to Brick Lane was derelict for many years and was a magnet for graffiti artists. Here are some shots of it taken before the sight was developed.

Derelict site, Osbourne Street 2009

Playing In The Street

March 22, 2013

These days fewer children play in the street. The reasons for this may be quite complex. Parental concerns about safety and computer games are significant reasons. As a child I recall that the streets were our natural playgrounds; these photographs remind me of those times.