Rommi Smith: Changing The Story: Photographs Of British Life In Black And White (1917-1962)
Mon 10 – Sat 29 Jan 2022
‘I open the album and am spellbound; immediately struck that what unites these temporally disparate photographs – these stories of people and places across time and space – is the racial diversity of the protagonists in them. These photos flip the script on Britishness: my history lessons did not look like this.’ Dr Rommi Smith
Changing The Story centres an overlooked part of British history, through a series of striking photographs documenting British life from 1917 to 1962.
As the inaugural writer-in-residence at leading photographic archive TopFoto, Dr Rommi Smith explored a lesser-known archive of photographic images and was struck by the diversity of the subjects in them; how the images disrupt ideas of Britishness as, solely, white. Thirty-four of these photographs are on public display together for the first time, alongside new writing by Rommi interpreting these works. As part of the exhibition, audio recordings of Rommi’s work are accessible via QR codes; with music by Christella Litras, the texts are performed by Rommi Smith, Christella Litras and actor Lladel Bryant.
Founded in 1927, TopFoto is an independent picture agency of fascinating range and depth, with its archive utilised in education, branding, marketing, advertising and the media globally.
To view/download a PDF version of the exhibition brochure click here.
To view a FlippingBook version of the exhibition brochure click here.
The Big Picture: Last Call For Commonwealth Arrivals, 1962
Tim Adams, The Observer, Sun 02 Jan 2022
READ THE ARTICLE
‘Flipping The Script On Britishness’: Historical Harmony – In Pictures
The Guardian, Tue 04 Jan 2022
VIEW THE ONLINE GALLERY
EVENT
Inspiring People At The North Wall
Rommi Smith: Changing The Story
Thu 20 Jan 2022 | 7.30pm | £10/£5 Students
Join award-winning writer and performer Dr Rommi Smith in conversation with her collaborator, the musician and composer Christella Litras, chaired by Flora Nedelcu-Smith, Managing Partner of TopFoto. Rommi and Christella perform new work inspired by exhibition images, including one by photographer/filmmaker Ken Russell. This new work is made possible by Writers Mosaic, an initiative of the Royal Literary Fund.
TopFoto: the image works
Writers Mosaic (an initiative of the Royal Literary Fund)
125th & Midnight
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