Purim in London: one last party before lockdown
- Text by Grey Hutton
- Photography by Grey Hutton
Earlier this month, I headed to Stamford Hill in London to photograph ‘Purim’. The famed religious holiday, which takes place over the 9th and 10th March each year, commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from extermination by the Persian Empire.
Despite mounting fears around the Coronavirus crisis, revellers were not deterred. The streets around North London were packed with cars, which are essential for travelling to friends’ and families’ houses for the traditional gift-giving and feasts. Kids were charging down the streets on scooters in full fancy dress, and teens piled into open-back trucks and collected money throughout the neighbourhood.
The mood was jubilant: there were traffic jams, honking horns, and blaring Yiddish music. Traditionally an insular community, it proved to be a wonderful opportunity for locals to meet and celebrate with their orthodox neighbours.
You can see more of Grey Hutton’s work on his official website, or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
You might like
The last days of St Agnes Place, London’s longest ever running squat
Off the grid — Photographer Janine Wiedel spent four years documenting the people of the Kennington squat, who for decades made a forgotten row of terraced houses a home.
Written by: Isaac Muk
How Japan revolutionised art & photography in the ’60s and ’70s
From Angura to Provoke — A new photobook chronicles the radical avant-garde scene of the postwar period, whose subversion of the medium of image making remains shocking and groundbreaking to this day.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In west London, Subbuteo is alive and flicking
London Subbuteo Club — The tabletop football game sees players imitate vintage teams with tactics and tiny painted replica kits. Ryan Loftus takes a trip to Fulham to meet a dedicated community and witness a titanic Brazil vs Coventry City showdown.
Written by: Ryan Loftus
Artifaxing: “We’ve become so addicted to these supercomputers in our hands”
Framing the future — Predominantly publishing on Instagram and X, the account is one of social media’s most prominent archiving pages. We caught up with the mysterious figure behind it to chat about the internet’s past, present and future, finding inspiration and art in the age of AI.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The lacerating catharsis of body suspension in Hong Kong
Self-Ferrying — In one of the world’s most densely packed cities, an underground group of young people are piercing their skin and hanging their bodies with hooks in a shocking exploration of pain and pleasure. Sophie Liu goes to a session to understand why they partake in the extreme underground practice.
Written by: Sophie Liu
What we’re excited for at SXSW 2026
Austin 40 — For the festival’s 40th anniversary edition, we are heading to Texas to join one of the biggest global meetups of the year. We’ve selected a few things to highlight on your schedules.
Written by: Huck
