Monday 16 March 2015

Thirty seven years ago ............ Salford in 1977, pictures ..... interviews ......and a talk by Phil Portus Wednesday March 18

Now thirty-seven years is a long time in the history of many inner cities, especially Salford.

So I am keen to see a collection of photographs taken by Phil Portus in 1977.

They will be part of a fascinating afternoon at Charlestown Community Camera Club this Wednesday  when Phil talks about some of the changes that have taken place in Salford and shows new portraits and video interviews of people he photographed  37 years ago.*

At which point I shall quote from Phil’s own account of the project and suggest you follow the link to the site and see some more of those pictures.**

"In 1977 I became involved in an urban documentary photographic project in Salford. After several months of taking photographs we had a collective exhibition  of our black and white prints at the Salford theatre on Liverpool Street.    

Our aim was to record what was left of the past in Ordsall, Langworthy and adjacent areas after extensive demolition  of the old Victorian terraced houses.  


After the exhibition the photographs were kept by the authors of the work and not officially archived.

In 2001 I returned to  the areas covered by the project.  The old housing had been replaced by a council estate in the 80s,  but on the other side of Trafford  Road, in sharp contrast,  the former Manchester Docks had been redeveloped as “flag ship” luxury apartments, and the cultural centre The Lowry.  

This was part of the urban regeneration of the 90s.

In 2012 I decided to find some of the people I photographed in the late 70's and take new portraits. With the help of articles in the Salford Reporter, BBC radio and salfordonline.com I have found several people I had photographed 37 years ago. 

My talk looks at the social and economic background to that part of  Salford  and demonstrates my ongoing work on this project using both photographs and video interviews".

Pictures; courtesy of Phil Portus

* Salford - Photographing Urban Change, a talk by Phil Portus: Wednesday March 18 , 12.00-2.30pm. Free, Charlestown Community Camera Club, St Sebastians Community Centre, Douglas Green, Salford M6 6E

**Salford Project, http://www.philportus.co.uk/salford-project/

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