The People’s Archive is our independent crowdsourced archive documenting everyday life and society in twentieth century Britain.

The archive gives a platform and an important voice to a diverse spectrum of society and communities across the UK. It’s an essential social document that highlights the changes of everyday life, society and culture before the rise of smart phones and social media – by the people who lived through it.

The images cover all aspects of British life and highlight everything from childhood, industry, housing, fashion and popular culture.

Community Workshops

Our community workshops tackle social isolation and enable people to socially engage and tell their own stories through photography.

Afflecks Palace. Manchester, 1980s. Photo submitted by Zach Turner. Lower Broughton, Salford, 1980. Photo submitted by Alison Regan. Skate action. York, 1980s. Photo submitted by Martin Pugh. Montrose, North East Scotland, late 80s. Photo submitted by Rhudi Twidale. Rhudi”My dad (2nd from left) and his pals in the late 80s. The “dynamo” casuals who follow Montrose FC. This is outside a pub they still love to go to now. They haven’t changed, just a few more wrinkles and grey hair!” Planet X nightclub. Liverpool, 1980s. Photo submitted by Amanda Birch. Salford, 1984. Photo submitted by Ian Haydn. Skinheads. St Leonard’s on Sea, 1980. Photo submitted to our archive by Russell Macnay. Reading Festival, 1993. Photo submitted by Steve Beech. . Steve:”This pic sums up finishing my GCSEs In 1993 and drinking crates of cheap lager at Reading” Sisters Penny and Ali with their mother. Maldon, Essex, early 1970s. Photo submitted by Derek Drew. Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland, 1970. Photo submitted by Jennifer Johnston. Jennifer”This was taken in 1970 in Millport, on the Isle of Cumbrae, off the West Coast of Scotland. We took our family holidays there, the same 2 weeks in July, for what seemed like forever! That’s my mum Kate, my brother David on the trike and me in the pushchair”. Corby, Northamptonshire, 1979. Photo submitted by Jessica Clark. . Jessica:”My dad Dermot Powderly holding his Kestrel as his mum watches on in the background.” Family. Walsall, 1973. Photo submitted by Fawzi Zuberi. Hanging out on the Kings Road. London, 1982. Photo submitted by Polly Birkbeck. Scooter Boys outside The Pheonix. Cavendish Square, London, 1981. Submitted to our archive by Billy Drinkwater. Sisters and cousins eating rock after a family trip to Blackpool. Seedley, Salford, 1970s. Photo submitted by Jacqui Pollock.

As well as exhibiting the archive across towns and cities in the UK, we are currently crowdfunding towards our long term goal of a permanent exhibition space for The People’s Archive in the North West which we are looking to establish in 2020/2021. You can find out more about the crowdfunder here.

The People’s Archive Galleries 1930s – 2000

A selection of The People’s Archive from each decade 1930s – 2000 can be seen via the dropdown menu on the title bar for this page.

Submit/Contact

For all submissions and general enquiries please email contact@britishculturearchive.co.uk

Terms

By submitting your image(s) to The People’s Archive you agree to the use of your image(s) for educational, press and promotional use. The images may be used in any of our official books, prints, displays and exhibitions. The images will be kept within the People’s Archive as a social document and will not be distributed to any external organisations. As a non-profit resource any funds raised using the images will be used to support and grow the archive and help fund our community workshops in the UK.