In 1977 I became involved in an urban documentary photographic project along with some other photographers including Steve Chapman, Tony Marjoram and led by an American, Diane Olson . After several months of observations we had a collective exhibition of our black and white prints at the Salford theatre on Liverpool Street. Like many other UK cities and towns in the 60’s and 70’s, Salford was undergoing urban change which involved “slum” clearance and re-housing. Our aim was to record what was left of the past in Ordsall, Langworthy and adjacent areas and the interim period, before re-building began, of boarded or bricked up terraced houses and demolition sites. I encounter residents of the these areas on my walks around, some were interested to talk about these changes to their environment and way of life, and children, when sighting a camera, would often ask to have their photograph taken. After the exhibition the photographs were taken down and kept by the authors of the work and not officially archived. I returned to look at the areas covered by the project in 2001. There were still boarded up houses and demolition taking place, new council houses had been built in the slum clearance areas I had photographed in the late 70’s. In sharp contrast, the former Manchester Docks had been redeveloped as “flag ship” luxury apartments and the cultural centre The Lowry.
Returning to this photographic project 30 years later I intend to seek out people who lived in the areas I documented and record memories and their personal stories. Photographs are one way of generating memories and experiences of the past for the people that lived then but it is also a means by which younger generations can discover what it was like in former times. It should not be forgotten that photographic images are just a glimpse of the past taken subjectively and selectively by the photographer. Photographs taken of the past and present are all subject to interpretation but they offer an invaluable record for the future. The set of photographs in this book show images I have taken as part of this project from the late 70’s and in the last 12 years. The project continues.
Phil Portus April 2012