East End Underworld: the Life of Arthur Harding

This event will explore the life of notorious East End criminal Arthur Harding.

Arthur Harding was born in 1886 in the notoriously poor area of London called 'The Nichol'. East End Underworld, published by Raphael Samuel in 1981 details Arthur’s life story, drawn from numerous oral history interviews with Arthur, conducted during the 1970s. The book follows Arthur's life from his upbringing in The Nichol, through his involvement in the East End underworld of gangsters and criminals, to his eventual rehabilitation and marriage. It provides an illuminating insight into many of the major social issues of the time, including depravity, crime, homelessness and gang violence, all of which still hold a particular resonance today.

This event will explore the significance of Arthur Harding’s life, not only in relation to East End history and historiography but also the story behind and issues raised by Raphael Samuel’s research. Documents and oral history recordings from the Raphael Samuel archive will be on display on the evening.

Speakers will be Stan Newens (ex-Labour MP), Peter Claus (Raphael Samuel History Centre) and Sarah Wise (author).

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