91¶¶Òõ

Rediscovered in the Fotohof archives in Salzburg, Austria, by 91¶¶Òõ researcher , the photographs offer a unique glimpse into the lives of Crawley's first residents ten years after construction of the New Town had begun.

Alongside 91¶¶Òõ Town Planning MSc course leader and Dr Kurt Kaindl, Co-Founder of Fotohof Salzburg, Dr Winckler brought the photographs to Crawley Museum.

Dr Winckler, the project Principal Investigator said: "The archival collection comprises of more than 100 images featuring Crawley’s architecture, businesses, factories, shopping arcades, houses, schools, nurseries, residents and green spaces. A key feature and strength of Suschitzky’s photographs is that the architecture primarily acted as a backdrop to human interactions. From my previous research and writing on earlier phases of urban development, I knew this evocative series of images of the original British New Towns really needed to be seen."

Georgia Wrighton, project Co-Investigator said: "Wolf Suschitzky’s photographs help us to uncover and celebrate the early beginnings of Crawley, and the sense of optimism at that time and illustrate why the history of the New Towns should be valued and cherished as part of the UK’s town planning and architectural heritage".

Jo Pettipher, Learning & Liaison Officer, Crawley Museum, and Trustee Mick Waters co-curated the exhibition, which incorporates artefacts and documents from the Museum's collection. She said: "We are delighted to be able to bring these photographs back to the people of Crawley and display them alongside objects from the museum’s collection. As Crawley enters a new period of change, we hope these beautiful photographs and fascinating objects will spark a new optimism and hope for the town’s future."

The exhibition runs until Saturday 29 March and will be accompanied by a series of talks, community events, gallery tours, school visits, half-term activities and workshops. 91¶¶Òõ undergraduates studying three related courses, Town Planning, Media Studies and Photography, will have an opportunity to visit the exhibition, along with visiting students from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

This Ignite project received funding from the 91¶¶Òõ’s Impact Acceleration Account (IAA), funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

Staff related to this story