Nostalgic photo exhibition to show lost images of Stockport Market in the 1970s

A new exhibition by photographer Heidi Alexander is to open at Stockport Museum which visually captures Stockport Market in the 1970s.

In 1976 and 1977, as an undergraduate at Stirling University, Heidi spent a few weekends visiting a friend near Stockport Market.

Charmed by the atmosphere and the characters, she shot several rolls of film with the Leica M4 camera inherited from her father.

Decades later, during the first COVID-19 lockdown of early 2020, Heidi rediscovered the long-lost negatives from those visits and started posting the images on social media.

The public reaction was immediate, enthusiastic, and often emotional.

These images of a warm, lively community were particularly poignant during those times of separation and acute isolation necessitated by the lockdowns of COVID-19.

This Friday sees the opening of The Stockport Collection, an exhibition by photographer Heidi Alexander at @SMBC_Museums. A snapshot in time of late 1970s #Stockport, it’s a must-see for all residents. Entry is free – no need to book! Read more: https://t.co/QL3AZPn2UW pic.twitter.com/pIPyZuAnNn

— Stockport Council (@StockportMBC) July 20, 2022

The Stockport Collection documents the social history of a particular time, place and way of life.

It illustrates the human need for a sense of identity and of belonging to a working community with a common purpose.

“The Stockport Collection is an exhibition full of hidden gems which documents the rich history of our town centre,” said Councillor Grace Baynham, Stockport Council .

“With the town centre currently undergoing a period of so much change, it’s fantastic to be able to look back to a snapshot of history captured so brilliantly by Heidi Alexander.

“A must-see for all residents, to get a sense of the atmosphere of Stockport town centre in the late 1970s”

The exhibition opens to the public on Friday 22nd July at Stockport Museum, 30/31 Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1ES. Entry is free. There will also be a book signing with the photographer on Thursday 4th August from 6pm – 7pm at Stockport Museum. Tickets to the book signing are free and need to be booked in advance via Eventbrite. Stockport Museum is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am – 5pm and Sundays from 11am – 4pm.