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 ‘Old and New’. The brief for this theme was: 'From banks that are now bars to pubs turned to local shops, our high street is ever changing. What clues can you find on buildings that reveal their former lives? What are these places used for now?'
The photographer wrote the following text to explain how their image relates to this theme: "The image shows the original faience tile signage of the arcade, but that is surrounded by more modern signs advertising the businesses that are located there now."
This is part of the Volume: HEC01/128/02/23 Picturing High Streets: Mass Participation Project - Old and New; 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
© Lisa Brown
Photographer: Brown, Lisa
Sign, Shopping Arcade, Shops And Shopping
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