Picturing High Streets was a three-year project delivered by Photoworks to create a contemporary picture of England’s high streets through artist residencies and a public call out. It was part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zones Cultural Programme, and produced in partnership with GRAIN Projects, Impressions Gallery, Open Eye Gallery, London College of Communications, Photofusion, QUAD/FORMAT, Redeye, ReFramed and The Photographers’ Gallery.
From September 2022 to September 2023, people across England responded to themed fortnightly challenges and submitted their photographs on Instagram under the hashtag #PicturingHighStreets. All entries created an unofficial archive documenting a year in the life of the English high street on Instagram, and a selection form this permanent collection in the Historic England Archive.
This photograph was selected to represent the theme 'Bus Stops.' In June 2023, Historic England, Clear Channel and Photoworks partnered on a national call-out that celebrated the humble bus shelter as part of Picturing High Streets. Often overlooked, and always connecting us to our high streets, bus stops can be the starting point of a lot of stories. From nervously waiting for the bus to take us to a new job or first date, jumping on to meet friends for drinks to striking up a conversation with someone while you wait, and of course taking us to the high street to shop. The public were encouraged to capture what makes bus stops part of their lives and communities.
The photographer wrote the following text to explain how their image relates to this theme: "I am working on an ongoing project about the Lea Bridge Road using a vintage Rollieflex camera shooting black and white film. People had left a church service at Potters House and were waiting for a bus. Behind the bus queue I noticed workers repairing a roof. I waited for other people to walk into the frame and shot it wide to include the satellite dishes that adds to the busy feel of the picture."
This is part of the Volume: HEC01/128/02/08 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project - Bus Stops; within the Sub Series: HEC01/128/02 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project; within the Series: HEC01/128 Picturing High Streets; within the Collection: HEC01 Historic England
© Russell Boyce
Photographer: Boyce, Russell
21st Century Laundrette, People, Street Scene
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