Hoxton Mini Press // It all began a few years ago when photographer Martin Usborne saw 86 1/2 year old Joseph Markovich wandering the streets of Hoxton Square. Appearing strangely out of place among the masses of East London’s youth, Usborne was compelled to take Markovich’s photograph. What started as a simple request to snap a quick portrait, ended with an entire photography book dedicated to the native East Londoner and an unexpected lasting friendship between the two.

After numerous interviews and years spent cultivating a friendship, Usborne self-published I’ve Lived In East London For 86 1/2 Years, a book encompassing the story of a man who was born just beside the Old Street round-a-bout and lived an entire lifetime in East London. Only leaving the area once in his life to visit the seaside with his mother, Markovich is an eclectic character who loves Nicolas Cage, took five sugars in his tea and would have married a six foot two Hispanic woman but had bad chest catarrh and never had a girlfriend. His story is one of a man who truly witnessed the ever-changing East End through generations of growth and transformation. Once considered the most impoverished corner of the city, today’s East London has never been more vibrant and eccentric.

Usborne’s series of photographs highlight the fascinating juxtaposition of an 86 1/2 year old man living in a world of cafes, hipsters, large graffiti murals and the flourishing eccentricities which make the backdrop of the East End. All the while, Markovich offers his humorous and heart-warming viewpoints on everything from religion, to the future and Jennifer Lopez.

After having great success self-publishing 86 1/2 years, Usborne decided to dive into the world of independent print with Hoxton Mini Press. Founded in 2013 by Usborne and his wife Ann Waldvogl, the publishing company has been creating collectible books exclusively about London’s east end boroughs ever since. Growing up in North London, Usborne moved to Hackney 13 years ago and was quickly compelled to capture the diversity and creativity of the area that immediately felt like home.

Embracing the idea of niche and bespoke print, Usborne and Waldvogl have a passion for East London that allows them to continuously search out and create their art-style books that showcase all aspects of the East End.

Following Usborne’s first book in the East London photo series was photographer Madeline Waller’s East London Swimmer’s, featuring the swimmers of Hackney’s London Fields attempting to brave the winter snow and head outdoors despite the freezing conditions. Intrigued by the alternative identity that people seem to assume when stepping into a swimming pool, Waller began documenting winter swimmers at London Fields lido in Hackney. She quickly realised portraits of each person in their swimming costume were more telling of their distinctive personalities than when they appeared in portraits fully clothed. From being caught in a Thailand tsunami, to having the determination to hold one’s breath until almost hallucinating, wanting to reconnect with nature and having a deep fear of sharks – Waller set out to explore the personal motivations behind each winter-weather swimmer.

Zed Nelson’s A Portrait of Hackney was published in early 2014 as the third book in the East London photo series. A documentary photographer who’s spent most of his life living in Hackney, Nelson’s portraiture gives tremendous insight into the clashing identities, cultural confusions, beauty and strangeness that all co-exist in London’s East End. Hackney is ever-changing, currently experiencing immense growth that is creating a rapidly changing social landscape. While still perceived as an inner-city borough full of crime, poverty and housing estates, it’s also home to creative businesses, entrepreneurs, restaurants and an overwhelming influx of young, creative residents. Scenes of hipsters in Olympic Park, next to a tragic drive-by shooting followed by drinks on the canal are the portraits and landscapes which make up the all-telling pages of Nelson’s book.

Through his lens, Nelson has truly shown the peculiarities and juxtapositions that are simply part of every day life in the East End. His constant inspiration comes from daily occurrences in and around Hackney, an area with violence, beauty, wildlife, concrete wastelands, poverty and affluence all mixed together and vying for space. This social diversity is exactly what creates the tattered, fractured, liveliness of Nelson’s photography and his accurate portrayal of the place he calls home.

When reading such publications from Hoxton Mini Press, it quickly becomes evident that not many places can compare to the uniqueness and diversity found in Hackney. The East End is a place so full of untold stories and photographs waiting to be taken, and Hoxton Mini Press is successfully representing this fascinating corner of London. With many upcoming projects in the works, they’re set to release photographer Dougie Wallace’s Shoreditch Nightlife this autumn, as well as Vintage Glamour in London’s East End by Boris Bennett and A Field Guide To East London Wildlife. Establishing themselves as independent publishers, Usborne and Waldvogl are embracing all that the East End has to offer — an area that’s ever-changing, vibrant and so very alive.

Article Credit // Sarah Rowland

Browse the Hoxton Mini Press Collection on Studio 8 or visit hoxtonminipress.com