Description:Reverse of photograph reads: "Ishmael Scarratt"
This is a gallery of photographic materials taken by Birmingham City Council in the early-to-mid 20th century. The images offer a vivid and fascinating insight into the lives of Travellers in Birmingham's rapidly changing urban landscapes. This is the first time these pictures have been seen by the public.
The reverse side of some photographs offer clues to names of inhabitants, dates or places; but others remain completely blank. At the time they were taken, it is highly likely that the purpose of these photographs was to document the Traveller presence as a 'problem'.
However, these newly archived images offer us crucial insights into Traveller ways of life. They suggest a wide range of situations, places and contexts in which Travellers in and around the city sought to persue their own culture, lifestyle and identity.
The following gallery also raises broader issues about how ongoing urban clearances were leading to the rise of the suburbs. In what different ways did this affect both Travellers and the local working class? What do these images tell us about the moving social and cultural boundaries of our city?
Viewers who may like to shed more insight into some of the images can email birminghamstories@yahoo.co.uk