A photographic trip through Copeland in the 50s and 60s is on offer for Whitehaven museum visitors.
The work of local photographer, Ivor Nicholas, showcases Copeland’s towns and villages in the 1950s and 60s, at the Beacon Museum.
Mr Nicholas’ career spans seven decades and he has taken over 25,000 negative images. Many of his works feature black and white imagery of Copeland’s towns including Whitehaven, Egremont, and Millom.
He spent much of his career with the Cumbrian Newspaper Group and ITV Border where he was also behind the video camera.
Ivor, who is now in his eighties, said: “I’ve had an interesting career, but you rarely realise the significance of images for local history at the time you take them.”
Stationed at RAF Gibraltar in 1953, he was given the chance to enter the National Service as a photographer because of his civilian interest and skills.
Local wine merchant, Gerard Richardson MBE, who helped create the exhibition, said: “I met Ivor in 1999 while organising the Whitehaven Festival.
“When Ivor was sent on a job by the newspapers, he not only took the pictures he was asked for, but also others of the areas he travelled through – and I’m very glad he did.
“Ivor is one of the custodians of the local area’s past, and sometimes forgotten, landscape.”
Images from the 1890s
In addition to Ivor’s pictures from the 50s and 60s, there will also be Copeland images dating back as far the 1890s from the Sankey family. These have been curated as part of a volunteer project with Signal Film and Media.
Alan Gillon, learning officer at The Beacon Museum, said: “The Rediscover Copeland exhibition is a fantastic collaboration from Ivor Nicolas, The Beacon Museum and selected images from Signal Media who have been working with volunteers to archive images taken by Edward Sankey and his sons.
“The Sankey family took thousands of images around the area from the late 1890s to the early 1960s, some of which have never been on display.
“The planning by Gerard Richardson to bring together such an emotive exhibition I am sure will rekindle long forgotten memories for some and be a complete surprise to others.”
The Rediscover Copeland exhibition will be on display at The Beacon Museum from July 10 to October 3.
For more information on the exhibition visit www.thebeacon-whitehaven.co.uk
