Photography legacy’s new lease of life by Walsall College students

The legacy of one of Walsall’s most prolific transport photographers and historians is being shared with new audiences in a new setting through a project by Walsall Archive for All (WAFA), supported by West Midlands Police and Walsall College.

Walsall locations captured on camera by Jack Haddock between the 1950s and 2000s have been reimagined by the college’s photography students, with the resulting images now on display in the community hub room at Bloxwich Police Station.

The collection, Then and Now, features over 30 of Jack Haddock’s photographs. For many years, he documented everyday life across the borough, capturing buses, trains, canal boats and street scenes.

Students revisited the selected images’ original locations, so the historic and present-day views could be digitally merged, offering a fresh perspective on how the town has changed over time.

Sammie-Lea Murphy was one of the students involved.

“Seeing the images on display made all the hard work worthwhile.  I’m very happy with the results.” she said. “I had a lot of blending to do to give the images an authentic feel and had to start from scratch a few times when I went off track.

“It was difficult, but also fun.

“I feel more comfortable using editing software now which will help me in future, especially as I lean towards a career in portrait photography.”

WAFA is a two-year project led by Walsall Council and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. At its heart is the digitisation of the Jack Haddock Collection, which includes 2,200 photographic prints, 5,928 slides and 220 recordings.

“Then and Now has encouraged our students to immerse themselves in the town’s history and share it with future generations through a contemporary lens,” said Stuart Robinson, Lecturer at Walsall College.

“This has been a fantastic opportunity for them that has strengthened their photography skills both creatively and technically.  It has also improved their ability to work collaboratively, meet multiple ‘client’ needs, and understand more about Lottery funding principles and how they support creative arts and heritage-led initiatives.

“Producing and seeing their work exhibited in such an exciting way has been incredibly rewarding.”

Samantha Ray, senior industry placement officer at Walsall College added: “The college has been pleased to pave the way for our students to fulfil ‘two employer briefs in one’ courtesy of WAFA and West Midlands Police.

“The collaboration and tribute to Jack Haddock have enhanced the students’ experience of working professionally to create artwork, meet deadlines and receive feedback.”

Samantha continued: “Opportunities like this are rare for creative arts students and we know this experience will inspire them as they take their next steps professionally.

“We also hope this exhibition encourages other organisations to explore innovative ways to bring the creative arts into their work and environments for the wider benefit of their communities.”