Top all-time · #4864
Spitalfields Life
Personal blog · spitalfieldslife.comhistoryculture
Spitalfields Life is a personal blog at spitalfieldslife.com about history and culture. Since 2011, 16 different Hacker News readers have linked it 25 times, most often “The Pointe Shoe Makers of Hackney”. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-11-02, and you can follow it by feed.
Too few sampled comments (4) to say how often HN recommends it.?
Why HN links it
HN readers link Spitalfields Life, the daily blog by the pseudonymous Gentle Author, which covers the past and present of East London's Spitalfields, including architecture, plants and old trades and objects.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 4 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Most-linked posts?
- The Pointe Shoe Makers of Hackney2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2025-12-20
What Hacker News says?
The writer of this is the pseudonymous Gentle Author, who writes the Spitalfields Life blog: http://spitalfieldslife.com/ He's definitely more concerned with preserving the old ways from being abused than he is with protecting the new ways for me and for you. My favourite bit of facadism in London is the Lloyd's building. In 1928 Lloyd's of London built a big wedding cake sort of thing for their headquarters: http:/…
Comment linking /
on “Future generations will laugh in horror and derision at the folly of facadism”Submitted So Long, Whitechapel Bell Foundry as a story · 125 points
HN discussionThe idea of finding "lost" plants immediately reminded me of this story on the stupendously compendious "Spitalfields Life" daily blog by the notionally anonymous "Gentle Author", whom details the past and present of a specific part of East London. https://spitalfieldslife.com/2018/05/11/wild-city/ - "A Lost Botanic World In Aldgate" "Last year, I joined a group of intrepid plant hunters descending into the depths o…
Comment linking /2018/05/11/wild-city/
on “The mystery of silphium, a lost Roman herb (2017)”Submitted In Bishopsgate, 1838 as a story · 40 points
HN discussionFrom what I've discovered, it must be a Japanese Lacquer Brush. Traditionally these are made from the hair of pearl divers, "selected as the finest and densest fibre."[1] Another reference I found quotes that "They say that the salt strengthens the hair"[2] [1] http://spitalfieldslife.com/2012/01/12/pedro-da-costa-felgue... [2] https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b02309/
Comment linking /2012/01/12/pedro-da-costa-felgueiras-lacquer-paint-specialist-japanner/
on “Recreating Lost Colors”Submitted East End Toy Manufacturers of 1917 as a story · 33 points
HN discussionhttp://spitalfieldslife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SMC-M... "Machine Gun with rotary action. Fires imitation shells with great force and precision". Sounds like a fantastic toy.
Comment linking /wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SMC-MFD-0117051710300_0001.jpg
on “East End Toy Manufacturers of 1917”Submitted The Broderers of St Paul’s Cathedral as a story · 28 points
HN discussionSubmitted Love Tokens from the Thames as a story · 17 points
HN discussionSubmitted The Alphabet of London as a story · 9 points
HN discussionSubmitted All Change At Maggs Brothers as a story · 9 points
HN discussionSubmitted Frost Bros, Rope Makers and Yarn Spinners as a story · 8 points
HN discussionSubmitted Dan Jones, Artist of London's East End as a story · 6 points
HN discussionSubmitted The Markets of Old London as a story · 5 points
HN discussionSubmitted The Pointe Shoe Makers of Hackney as a story · 3 points
HN discussionSubmitted Maurice Evans, Firework Collector as a story · 3 points
HN discussionSubmitted At Victoria Park Model Boat Club as a story · 3 points
HN discussionSubmitted The Pointe Shoe Makers of Hackney as a story · 2 points
HN discussionSubmitted The Antiquarian Bookshops of Old London as a story · 2 points
HN discussionSubmitted The Hackney Whipping Post as a story · 2 points
HN discussionSubmitted Maurice Franklin, Wood Turner (and still using the same lathe after 78 years) as a story · 2 points
HN discussionSubmitted Frost Bros, Rope Makers and Yarn Spinners as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted At St Paul’s Cathedral in Old London as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted William Caslon, Letter Founder as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted The Creeping Plague of Ghastly Facadism as a story · 1 points
HN discussion
