Forest Gate Faces depicts the lives of the people of Forest Gate over the last 250 years.

There are botanists, philanthropists, surgeons, artists, actors, sportsmen and other members of the community from the many diverse cultures that have made up the population of the area.

As well as formal portraits, the images are of everyday events: children at play, family gatherings, community celebrations, poignant reunions and sad goodbyes.

Although some of the locations remain much the same, if we look carefully at the photographs we catch glimpses of how things were in yesteryear; see how fashions have changed and how few cars there were in the streets.

These images – many of which have never been previously displayed – come from private family collections and the London Borough of Newham’s archive.

The Carol Johnson collection comprises her own family photographs and those of friends and other Forest Gate families both past and present. It is their generosity that has made this exhibition possible.