Street Near the Docks: Poplar

Artist: Eric Huson

Date: 1962

Medium: Ink wash and crayon on paper

With a solitary crane limply positioned behind the bend of the street, Huson draws attention to the extent to which London’s docks and industry had declined by the 1960s - there is a marked sense of decay and abandonment within the scene. 

The docks around Poplar had largely been built by the West India Dock Company in the early 19th century, with Poplar Dock remaining owned by British Rail until its eventual closure in 1981.