When I Came To England ©

When I Came to England© - Caribbean life in 1950's & '60s Britain — is a fascinating exhibition about the experiences of people who came and lived, worked and helped re-build post-war Britain.

The exhibition is a unique portrait of "life, love and lifestyle a long way from home"© presented from the perspective of Caribbean immigrants, many of whom arrived with a game plan to spend five years in 'The Motherland' and then return home with some degree of prosperity.

When I Came to England© features more than 100 beautifully framed exhibition images, in black and white, and colour and the chaming hand-tinted techniques popular at the time.

It is a growing exhibition in which documentary images by photographers like Henry Grant and studio protraits from celebrated studios like Harry Jacobs are included, alongside vanity shots and passport snaps.

There is also a superb West Indian Living Room installation - complete with radiogram and paraffin heater and voiced testimonies of those who came to Britain during this time intermixed with music from this period. More than an exhibition, this is an experience designed to take the visitor on a trip down memory lane. When I Came to England© captures the mood of the '50s & '60s with rare and personal photographs, memorabilia and testimonies to tell the remarkable story of ordinary people who took a extraordinary journey.

Through its associated Oral History Project, which co-produced the exhibition, Black Stock is able to provide hirers of this exhibition (galleries, schools etc) with persons who came to England during the period covered by the exhibition, who can act as invigilators / or guest speakers for launches, school visits, etc

An oral history book to accompany the When I Came to England exhibition has been published by Black Stock (ISBN:0954038703) details can be ordered directly from Black Stock price £7, €12, US $14 per item, including handling / delivery.