Photo exhibition captures the story of Commonwealth migration

Created from one of the most important photographic collections within Birmingham's archives, the exhibition celebrates the lives of thousands of people from across the Commonwealth.

From City of Empire to City of Diversity: A Visual Journey has been created from The Dyche Collection, a photography collection acquired by Birmingham Central Library in 1990.

The collection features photographs by self-taught photographer Ernest Dyche and his son Malcolm, who had two studios in the city and produced individual, group, family and wedding portraits.

In the 1950s, the portrait work shifted its focus to the first wave of migrants arriving in Birmingham from Africa, the Caribbean and Indian sub-continent.

For over 25 years, many visitors to his main studio would have portraits made to send back to friends and family in their home countries – inadvertently capturing the story of Commonwealth migration and recording an important phase in Birmingham’s history.

Over the last 14 months, archivists have searched through over 10,000 photographs stored in boxes to produce this important exhibition which will document post-1945 migration and the huge contribution made by those who settled in the city from the Commonwealth.

Most of the people pictured are anonymous as no records of names survive, but Pavandeep Gill, one of the many project volunteers, contacted the exhibition organisers after finding out pictures of her grandparents had been taken at The Dyche Studios in the 1950s.

Pavandeep Gill said: “My grandfather left India after the 1947 Partition in search of a better life. He settled in the Balsall Heath area of the city where he got a job and saved to buy a house.

"He was then able to bring his wife and sons to the city marking the first time my father had seen him.

"A picture of my grandparents has always been on the wall at home. When they died in 2019, we took the frames down and noticed the photographs had been taken at The Dyche Studios.

"After much research we got in touch with the Library of Birmingham who told us Sampad were putting together the exhibition.”

The photographs of Pavandeep’s family will be displayed in the exhibition and organisers are hopeful that more people will come forward so the stories behind the photographs can be told.

Producer of the exhibition, Sampad South Asian Arts and Heritage, is looking to hear from anyone with information about the collection or can identify people in the images.

Access to a small selection of the photographs already discovered are available via sampad.org.uk/projects. To get in touch, email harriet@sampad.og.uk

A school’s version of the exhibition is currently touring to Sampad’s 20 partner schools across Birmingham.

Supported by comprehensive classroom resources, including oral histories, storytelling and an interactive map, it has equipped teachers with the skills to confidently discuss the heritage of the people of Birmingham with thousands of young people.

The National Lottery-funded exhibition opens at the Library of Birmingham on Friday March 18 and is on display until Sunday June 18.

The free exhibition is open 11am until 7pm on Monday and Tuesday, 11am until 5pm from Wednesday to Saturday, and closed on Sunday.

The digitization of the photographic archive will be available for all to access in the future, as an everlasting legacy of the project.