Libraries
‘Then and Now’: Walsall College Students recreate borough photos in New Exhibition
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A new exhibition celebrating Walsall’s rich heritage has officially launched, showcasing the work of Walsall College students who have recreated historic photos of local historian, Jack Haddock.
Led by Walsall Council, the initiative was delivered in partnership with Walsall College and the Walsall Archive for All (WAFA) project. As part of the project, students were able to host a private exhibition, with the work viewed by their families and invitees at Bloxwich Police Station on 4 June 2026.
The exhibition features over 30 pairings from Jack Haddock’s collection, capturing the evolution of daily life, buses, trains, canals and boats across the borough. The project is funded by a £249,020 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The WAFA project team are digitising 9,000 items from the collection to make them available to the public. This includes 2,200 photographs of canals, buildings, and boats, 5,928 slides, and 220 audio recordings.
To give Jack Haddock’s collection a new lease of life, Walsall College photography students visited the locations where Jack Haddock took his photos to capture how those places look today. The project helped students practice skills and gain experience while learning about the local history.
“ This fantastic initiative bridges the gap between Walsall’s rich past and its bright future. By bringing Jack Haddock’s incredible collection into the digital age, we aren't just preserving history, we are making it accessible for generations to come. The creativity and dedication shown by the Walsall College students is truly inspiring, and this project is a wonderful reflection of what can be achieved when community heritage meets young talent. “
“ It was great putting this together. My skills have improved massively, and it was deeply inspiring to see through the photos how much things have changed, while fundamentally staying the same. “
The private launch event was well-attended by dignitaries and community figures, including the High Sheriff of the West Midlands, Carmen Watson, West Midlands Police officers, college students and their families, the WAFA Project team, and individuals who knew and worked with Jack Haddock during his lifetime.
Proving its lasting impact, the Jack Haddock Collection has now been officially integrated into the Walsall College Photography course curriculum.
The student’s photos will be available in due course in the online archive through this link https://walsall.access.preservica.com/portal
Digitised copies of the collection can be viewed online on the Walsall Archives Portal: https://walsall.access.preservica.com/portal
To learn more about the WAFA Project, sign up for regular updates, or find out how to get involved in future events and exhibitions, please visit: https://www.walsallforall.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About Walsall Archives
Walsall Archives is the dedicated archive and local studies service for the borough of Walsall. We hold, preserve and collect material that documents past and present life in the area. Located at the Lichfield Street Hub, we’re committed to making these valuable resources available to the people of Walsall and beyond, ensuring that the rich history of our borough is accessible to all.
To find out more about using the archives service, please either email LocalHistoryCentre@walsall.gov.uk, telephone 01922 652 212 or visit our website at https://go.walsall.gov.uk/walsall-libraries/lichfield-street-hub/walsall-archives-services
Walsall Archives are open to the public 10am – 4pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 10am – 1pm every Friday.
About Walsall Archive for All (WAFA) Project
The Walsall Archive for All Project is a digital archive designed to preserve Walsall’s history by collecting, sharing, and digitising images, audio recordings, and personal accounts.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That is why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram.
