London Shopfronts

The latest from Hoxton Mini Press, written by Emma Page with photos from Rachael Smith, looking at the smaller quirky shops that populate the city:

"We shot this largely during a pandemic when business owners were facing some of the biggest financial challenges they'd ever seen," said Emma and Rachael. "Yet many swiftly re-invented their offering, found new ways to serve the public or took the opportunity to reappraise their look. One of the biggest surprises was the amount of history that lay buried within the stores, in terms of both the personal stories of the shopkeepers or the unexpected peel of a façade that hinted at a store's hidden former life."

Each shopfront has its own story to tell, sometimes to the surprise of the people that currently run them. "Many were bemused by our interest! Older or more worn stores especially often take their look and feel for granted and can't quite see what the fuss is about. A slightly down-at-heel Holborn chippie or an ancient West End button shop are not the usual candidates for a book that celebrates London, and many details about their architecture, décor and histories had to be carefully prized from their owners."