District’s photo archive now on-line

A photographic archive that contains hundreds of images depicting East Durham’s heritage has gone on-line.

People Past and Present, which contains 3,000 black and white photographs dating from the 1880s through to the 1970s, can now be viewed on the council’s website.

Every village and town in District of Easington is covered by the archive and subject matter ranges from mining scenes and physical landscapes to social gatherings, family portraits and sporting activities.

The on-line archive allows people viewing the site to search by area, as well as purchase images by completing an electronic order form.
 
The second phase of the site’s development, which should be complete by the end of the summer, will allow people to also search the archive by subject and date.

Colin Robson, District of Easington Council’s Arts Officer, said: “People Past and Present is an amazing piece of the district’s heritage, with images spanning almost a century.

“By uploading the images onto the authority’s site more people can now access these wonderful photos of bygone years.”

All the photographs in the collection, which was started by artist Stuart Brisley in 1976, have been donated by residents for the benefit of their neighbourhoods.

Anyone who is not able to access the on-line archive can still visit the council to borrow up to 50 photographs at a time for up to two weeks, or buy prints for a small fee.

School children have been drawing on the archive for inspiration for a series of poems.Pupils from St Joseph's Primary School in Murton discovered a photograph of a visit by the King of Uganda too Murton in 1912, here is their poem:

“Though History Is Often A Mystery”

Though history is often a mystery           
Of one thing we are certain
A century ago the king of Uganda
Decided to visit Murton

He never climbed the Eiffel Tower
Or stood beneath Big Ben
Instead he came to Murton
To meet the mining men

He missed out Durham Castle
And Chester Roman Walls
He never swam the Amazon
Or saw Niagra Falls

Though history is often a mystery
Of one thing we are certain
A century ago the king of Uganda
Decided to visit Murton

He didn’t go to London
He didn’t go to Spain
He didn’t go to restaurants
For caviar and champagne

He didn’t visit Egypt
He didn’t go to Rome
Instead he came to Murton
Before he went back home

Though history is often a mystery
Of one thing we are certain
A century ago the king of Uganda
Decided to visit Murton

He didn’t go to India
Or holiday in China
He didn’t sail to Fiji
Aboard an ocean liner

He didn’t see the pyramids
Or trek to old Peru
Instead he came to Murton
So he could share the view

Though history is often a mystery
Of one thing we are certain
A century ago the king of Uganda
Decided to visit Murton

For further information on the photographic archive log-on to http://www.easington.gov.uk/pastandpresent/ or call Bryony Broughton or Helen Ferguson in the Cultural Development Unit on (0191) 527 0501 ext 4535.