25 pictures that show poverty in Manchester in the 1960s and 70s

25 pictures that show poverty in Manchester in the 1960s and 70s

Five children and two babies huddle together in tiny beds in a powerful image capturing the brutal reality of poverty in sixties Manchester .

In another photograph, a group of young boys play happily in the burnt-out wreckage of a car abandoned on a typical terraced street.

The images were taken over four years by photographer Nick Hedges on behalf of the charity Shelter.

His haunting brief was to travel the country to capture homelessness and the hidden horrors of abject deprivation faced by millions of families.

The subsequent collection of images from Greater Manchester and beyond were used in Shelter publications and briefing documents sent to the government, helping to reveal true-life conditions and spark social change.

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Now, as the charity marks its 50th anniversary, an appeal has been issued to trace the children in the photographs.

They were taken between 1968 and 1972 after Shelter launched in 1966.

In Greater Manchester, photographer Hedges focused his lens on communities and housing in Salford, central Manchester and Moss Side . The results are a fascinating and sobering snapshot of the hardships of the times.

A little girl with matted hair poses in a rubbish-strewn Manchester alleyway, clothes dry on top of rubbish bins in a Moss Side garden and two young girls walk their baby sister around rubble-filled Salford streets .

Watch: Incredible footage of Manchester landmarks being built in the 70s

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Hedges, now in his 70s, toured cities and towns with Shelter volunteers and asked for permission to take every shot. He found cold, damp and dangerous conditions. Launching the search, he said: “It would be wonderful to meet the children I photographed all those years ago and for them to be able to tell their stories. I often wonder what happened to them, if they went on to lead happy and healthy lives.

“When I was commissioned by Shelter to take these photographs, I never imagined that decades later they would still have such impact. The poverty and terrible conditions I witnessed shocked me to the core.”

The search comes ahead of an exhibition of Hedges’ photos in Manchester next year. Shelter said the project was aimed to highlight slum conditions and campaign over homelessness.

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Chief executive Campbell Robb said: “We would love to hear the stories of the people behind these iconic pictures to help us mark 50 years of fighting bad housing and homelessness. I’d encourage anyone who recognises themselves, or family members and friends to get in touch and let us know what happened after they were taken.

“These photographs are a sobering piece of history not only for Shelter, but the nation as a whole, and it’s important to preserve the stories behind them. They show us how far we have come, but also that we must do more for the tens of thousands of families and individuals still desperate for a safe, secure and affordable home.”

Contact Shelter on stories@shelter.org.uk, 0207 505 2032 or visit www.shelter.org.uk/shareyourstory .

Alternatively, contact Paul Britton on paul.britton@men-news.co.uk if you recognise yourself.