Shoreditch Junk; end of its Shoreditch era

Shoreditch Junk: RIP a Sclater street legend

Two weeks ago, as I made my rounds looking for new street art I spotted this. And I was shocked because ever since I’ve been visiting Shoreditch, the shop front that has been synonymous with Sclater street and its street art is Shoreditch Junk.  And now it had gone!

 

No 64 Sclater Street with a new shop front. (photographer 27 November 2015)

 

Shoreditch Junk sold brick-a-brack, clothing and antiques. I never went inside because I didn’t need what they sold but I loved its authenticity. Shops which are a genuine collection of old stuff are hard to find now. Most are contrived to look like that but they are often full of new things or over priced as vintage.  Currently, if you do a google search Shoreditch Junk still comes up on a number of London websites as a cool place to visit with high star ratings.

My first encounter with the shop was last year when I was tracking down images from Louis Masai’s ‘Save the Bees’ campaign.  And I was less than impressed when I found this.  One of the bees was hidden underneath this sign which was on sale from Shoreditch Junk.

 

Save the Bees by Louis Masai. plus other street art. Sclater Street, London E2 (photographed 5th June 2014)

 

I paid little attention to the shop and left.  I returned a month later to find my missing bee.  And you can see the head and feeles of the first bee to the left of this photo. Interesting to note a slower turnover of street art that year compared to 2015.

 

Save the Bees by Louis Masai. plus other street art. Sclater Street, London E2 (photographed 3rd July 2014)

 

The summer of 2014 was when I started paying street art serious attention. And I remember the day in this next photo very well. I was on my way to a great ROA show at Stolen Spaces Gallery and whilst I was waiting to meet my friend, I snapped a photo shoot taking place outside Shoreditch Junk.  I also noticed the owner who was enjoying the spectacle. And I discreetly included him in this shot.

 

Shoreditch Junk on Slater Street, London E2 (photographed 12th June 2014)

 

Once I realised that the shop had closed, I searched through my photo archive to see where else it had featured on my rounds of Shoreditch. And there were plenty of great images to share with you all.

 

(photographed 9th August 2015)

 

(photographed 9th August 2015)

 

Artist Skeleton Cardboard was a big supporter of this shop and its from his IG account that I knew for sure that shop had closed.

 

Shutter design by Skeleton Cardboard (photographed 14th June 2015)

 

(photographed 25th August 2015)

 

(photographed 25th August 2015)

 

Street art by Himbad (photographed 19th June 2015)

 

Street artist (unknown) on Sclater Street (photographed 14th July 2014)

 

Sunday market on Sclater St. Mural by Opake LWI and Peza1T LWI (photographed 17th May 2015)

 

So what has replaced Shoreditch Junk?  I passed by there two days ago and snapped the new business.

 

64 Sclater Street, London E2 (photographed 11th December 2015)

Be interesting to see won’t it, if this becomes a mecca for the biker community. (raised eyebrow in sarcasm smilie) It sure does change the look of this wall against the street art painted there. The character of Shoreditch is certainly changing now the money has found its way here.

Shoreditch Junk has not entirely gone.

From searching online I discovered that Shoreditch Junk closed in late October.  Skeleton Cardboard posted this on IG.  And also in May 2015, it opened in Upper Clapton, Hackney, London E5 at the old tram depot, now called The Depot.  And I think it is still there.  There is also a great collection of photographs from inside the shop in Shoreditch Junk on Flickr. And I now wish I too had been inside.

Shoreditch Junk farewell.  Missing you already in Shoreditch.

 

Shoreditch Junk at 64 Sclater Street, London E2 (photographed 4th July 2015)