Accession number: 2017.21.2
Maker: artist: Crown, A David
Date made: 1994
Place made: London
Object category:
Painting of Barber's bakery shop in East Ham.
The artist Crown recounted that:
“The bakery was a family run affair – rather “low life” types. The toy miniature loaves of Hovis, 1d (1 penny each) were my favourite. I would have it all to myself. I spent a lot of time in the back room where the ovens were, swatting numerous flies for Mr. Barber. But I stopped helping him this way when I encountered a corpse in my slice of raisin bread!
The bakery was very 2nd rate, 3rd, 4th even. Behind the shop the family of 6 or 7 lived and they bought their potatoes by the sack – I’d never seen that before or for that matter, since. One Christmas when we had all of our family and friends for dinner, dad bought a 30+lb turkey which wouldn’t fit our oven but he arranged with Mr. Barber to cook it in his bread oven- along with some neighbour’s turkeys. I went with him on that cold day, to carry it home on a wooden board from the bakery…very slowly along the slippery alley and home by the back gate.”
Physical description: Unframed oil on canvas painting showing a brick building with an open brown door and shop window, both of which display cakes, bread and pastries, many of which seem to contain a red filling, probably jam. On the window is inscribed "Barber's Bakery" and upstairs is a lit window. On the left of the building is a side door leading to an alleyway, at the back of which is a bike, bin and low wall. Behind this wall we can see numerous houses in the background. On the other side of the alleyway is a grey building, and all we can see of it is a window on the ground floor. In front of the buildings an alleyway is a pavement, on which lies a manhole on the right.
