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.
The photographs in this set were selected to represent the theme ‘High Street Love’. The brief for this theme was: ‘To mark Valentine’s Day, we want to celebrate love! Show us the places you had your first date, tied the knot or marked an anniversary. If a picture speaks a thousand words, make it your love letter to the high street.’
The photographer wrote the following text to explain how their image relates to this theme: "This shot of the ‘clock tower’ was taken from inside the Haymarket Shopping Centre, in a building that was formally Littlewoods. My grandma used to love this shop, for clothes, ‘bits & bobs’ and getting a cup of tea for the café. Many things have altered in the city centre, but one thing that never does is the ‘clock tower’. A popular meeting place in the centre - everyone knows the clocktower, such an iconic much loved landmark."
This is part of the Volume: HEC01/128/02/13 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project - High Street Love; 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
© Clair Robins
Photographer: Robins, Clair
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