A Series of Disappointments - Blue & Red (signed copy)

These betting slips were discarded in and around many betting shops (71 at the time of publication) in the borough of Hackney in north-east London. The average number of betting shops in other London boroughs is 23.

Each of these papers began as hope, were shaped by loss or defeat, then cast aside. These new forms perhaps now possess a state of mind, shaped by nervous tension and grief.
After these images were made, little autopsies were performed on the papers to reveal the failed bets held within.
If betting shops move into places previously occupied by banks or solicitors, they are classed as financial services and dont have to apply for any special permit. In such numbers, they are beginning to feel like a burden around a borough that is trying to improve itself and the lives of its residents, and to shake off its bad reputation.

To exhibit this book, remove the book block from the outer cover, expand the pages and hang from nails or small hooks using the holes provided.

A Series of Disappointments
2008
Photographs by Stephen Gill
Words by Stephen Gill
Edited and sequenced by Stephen Gill
Design by Melanie Mues
Published by Nobody in association with the Archive of Modern Conflict
36 black and white photographs
78 pages
232 x 300 mm
Printed on recycled Cyclus Print, 200 gsm
Silk screen clothbound hardback
Printed at EBS, Verona, Italy
Edition of 3000 copies with 3 different covers
Published in 2008
ISBN 978-0-9556577-0-2