• Booth map Cardboard Citizen Angel Alley Whitechapel Gallery
  • Black and white photo of angel alley in 1978 showing rubbish on the street and signage for Freedom bookshop
  • White woman wrapped up in blue scarf and brown coat standing next to a painted text on a brick wall saying Angel Alley
  • Black and white photo of a public house

Angel Alley is named after the Angel Inn which opened on the south-western corner of Whitechapel High Street in the early 17th century.

The Alley has a rich and fascinating heritage. It has been a place where anarchist groups have organised since the 18th century, where printing presses have been established for the dissemination of radical ideas, and most recently where a mutual aid station was initiated by Freedom Press Bookshop during the worst stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Historical records describe the Alley as ‘notorious’ and there are many myths associated with its history – but we know it has always been a space for people to gather.

We want to resist characterising the Alley as a space with one particular nature or character. Like all places, it changes with the weather and depending on the time of day. And, like all places, it contains visible traces of past histories, many of which have yet to come to light. Our stories of Angel Alley are always changing. If you have a story to share, get in touch by emailing: publicprogrammes@whitechapelgallery.org

As part of their engagement with Angel Alley since 2021, RESOLVE Collective collated a significant amount of archival material related to the space. These materials feature in a series of printed pamphlets that can be picked up for free at Whitechapel Gallery or read online here.

Art and Angel Alley

In recent decades, Angel Alley has played host to several artist-led projects and interventions. You can explore some of these past projects below.

Photo of an artwork featuring 36 engraved portraits, mounted on a red wall

Anarchist Portraits, c.1996

Discover political cartoonist Donald Blooum‘s 36 portraits of renowned radicals in Angel Alley.

a scan of a book

Thomas Hirschon Bridge Project, 2000

A reflection on Thomas Hirschhorn’s contribution to the group exhibition Protest & Survive, written by Eugene Yiu Nam Cheung, Asymmetry Curatorial Fellow, Whitechapel Gallery, 2023.

A view of an alley with concrete planters

Literalley (Literally, a Library in an Alley), 2016

Learn more about the planters in Angel Alley, designed by Wayward in collaboration with local organisations and businesses.

CAW2024 Angel Alley

Exploring Contemporary Art Week, 2023

This week-long programme for young people took the Alley as its site and inspiration, led by artist and grassroots organiser Liv Wynter. 

A digital painting of a woman

Angel Alley Revisited, 2023

A new short play set across historical periods in Angel Alley, written by Clare Barstow.