View and search the full collection

The catalogue of the Geoff Williams Photography Collection (Ref. GWP) has been completed and uploaded to St Helens Local History & Archive Calmview site.

Continue reading →

Volunteers

Thank you to our volunteers!

As the St Helens Through The Lens project nears completion, we must highlight the invaluable assistance of the dedicated volunteers and the efforts they have put in on this project. When the project started, we had over 3000 unsorted, undocumented digitised images and over 3000 unsorted fragile glass plate negatives. The first task was to go…

Event

Inspiring young photographers

As part of the HLF supported St Helens Through The Lens project, artist Debbie Adele Cooper has used the 1950s George Street Photography Collection to inspire A Level Photography students from Carmel College. Debbie discussed her work on this project as well as introducing them to the work she has produced in response to other archive collections. The students were introduced to various…

Photographs

Austin Rhodes: A Saint in Focus

Many thanks to Alex Service (Saints Heritage Society) for this article. ‘St. Helens Through the Lens’ is a ten month Heritage Lottery Fund supported Heritage and Arts project based in St. Helens Library and Arts Service. This unique project aims to engage residents in uncovering the local history documented in the collection. It includes 3,000 glass plates discovered…

Photographs

Past Mayors of St Helens

Billinge and Seneley Green ward councillor Joe Pearson has recently been announced as the new Mayor of St Helens for 2017-18. Below is a selection of some of our favourite archive images of past mayors of St Helens. These photographs are all from the George Street Photography collection and have been recently digitised from glass plate negatives. They were all…

Artist workshop: Explore the Magical History of Photography

Join artist Debbie Adele Cooper to explore how photographs were made in the past using handmade glass plate negatives from the 1950s George Street Photography collection. Colour in images from the collection or learn how to make your own old-fashioned photo on your mobile phone or tablet. FREE workshops suitable for all ages but children must…

Talk: ‘Pictures From The Past’

Find out more about images from the George Street Photography Collection through a engaging talk led by local historian Tom Preston that will explore key images and delve into the heritage of St Helens and the wider area in the 1950s. Thatto Heath Library, Friday 9th June at 2pm

Nurses of the 1950s

International Nurses Day is celebrated every 12th May, a date which celebrates the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. To celebrate the nurses of St Helens, we would like to share some of our favourite archive photographs of 1950s local nurses that appear in the George Street Photography collection. Thank you to all nurses for your care, kindness and dedication. Do you…

Sunlight Printing Workshops

Join St Helens Through The Lens project artist Debbie Adele Cooper for a fun free creative workshop suitable for all ages! Explore hidden archive photographs, develop your own sun-prints and learn more about photographic techniques and the George Street Photography Collection from the project artist. Tuesday 25th April 4pm-6pm: Chester Lane Library Wednesday 26th April 4pm-6pm: Eccleston Library Thursday 27th April…

Strike a pose at The World of Glass!

Join St Helens Through The Lens artist Debbie Adele Cooper at The World of Glass this half term for fun activities inspired by the George Street Photography collection. Debbie will be at the museum on Thursday 13th April, inviting people to have their portraits taken at her pop-up portrait studio to be included in a new piece…

Preserving glass plate negatives

Glass plate negatives are subject to unique damage and deterioration. Glass is very fragile and can easily crack or break, the emulsion on the glass can flake and the glass plates are also subject to damage from water, fungus and mould. The risk of damage and the rate of deterioration of glass plates negatives can be greatly reduced if correct storage techniques and handling methods…

A trip to Paris in the 1950s

In the George Street Photography Collection, around 800 images are passport pictures or studio portraits. It has been intriguing to imagine why the passport photographs were taken and where the subject might be going. We were delighted to find out the story behind two of the photographs when some recent visitors to Central Library recognised their relatives. Josephine Dolan and…