A driver selling 32p pints from his van is among a host of fascinating photos showcasing Greater Manchester life in the 1970s and 80s. A stallholder flogging 75p ‘kiddies jumpers’ in Bolton and a young lad leaping off a wall onto a pile of mattresses in Hattersley are other striking moments from a new exhibition of documentary photographs opening this weekend.
The images aim to shine a positive light on growing up in working class communities in Greater Manchester in the 1970s and 80s. British Culture Archive – A Celebration of Life in the North during the 1970s-80s, is the title of a new show opening this Saturday at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre.
The archive's founder and the curator of the exhibition, Mancunian Paul Wright, set up the crowd-sourced project documenting everyday life in 20th century Britain in 2017. This exhibition, featuring work by professional photographers as well as snap shots from people's photo albums, shows everyday life in Greater Manchester.
Paul Wright, 44, grew up in Wythenshawe and now lives in Urmston. He set up the archive of thousands of images to give him ‘a creative buzz’.
He said: “I started the archive in my late 30s. I’d had various jobs over the years in retail and offices but I was always that sort of person though my 20s and 30s who was in bands and just made ends meet to live for the weekend.
“I’ve always been into my art, music and photography and had a need to be doing something creative. It wasn’t until I had kids in my late 30s that all those things I used to do stopped.
“I wasn’t in a band any more and I found myself sat in an office and thought ‘I need to get a creative buzz again’. “That’s when I had the idea of doing the culture archive.
“I got photographers I knew initially on board with it and it spiralled on social media from Instagram and now it’s one of the biggest online resources for documentary photography.”
Speaking ahead of the Bury Art Gallery launch, Paul, said: “I collaborate with various different galleries all over the country. It’s grown rapidly over the past five or six years.
“I think for a lot of Manchester creative people if you have a can do attitude then nothing can stop you doing it.
If you enjoy what you do it comes across.”
The full archive contains thousands of pictures and the exhibition in Bury will display around 40 images, all shot within Greater Manchester.
Paul, said: “There’s stuff from Don Tonge, who has done fantastic photography in and around Bolton.
“Thomas Blower did stuff around Moss Side, Hattersley and Hulme. His pictures were just sat in his loft for more than 40 years but then he found my platform and used it to find an audience.
“A lot of the stuff featured celebrates working class culture. Certain parts of the media demonised those communities for their own agenda but I really wanted to shine a light on it in a positive way.
“I want the images to show how communities come together though adversity. A lot of the images show youngsters growing up in a world where there were less distractions.
“I’ve got two daughters and they’re at the age where they’re getting into technology. They’re using iPads and part of me doesn’t like it but you’ve got to embrace it as well and manage it in the right way.
“For the kids in the picture their world was just getting out, messing about with their mates, getting out on bikes around the neighbourhood and getting in scrapes. That’s how we learned and made us the people we are.”
The exhibition runs until May 18, 2023.
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