Photo essay: Travellers' Children, 1987

 

Matilda Battersby
Wednesday 03 October 2012 12:12 BST
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Colin O'Brien spent three weeks photographing the children of travellers in Hackney 25 years ago.

They were living in caravans around Martello Street, London Fields when "Hackney was very run down".

He gained the families' trust - and many parents dressed their children up and sent them to him to be photographed.

After three weeks the travellers disappeared - and he was left with a selection of stunning images and no way of contacting their subjects.

Here he describes the experience in his own words.

Click here or on "View Images" to launch the photo essay

Travellers' Children by Colin O'Brien is on show at Genesis Cinema, Stepney from tomorrow

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