The sky is the limit for Welwyn Garden Heritage Trust presentation

Tuesday 19 March 2013, Welwyn Garden City Library

The birth of the Garden City – in pictures – is the treat in store at Welwyn Garden City’s recently refurbished library on Tuesday 19 March 2013, with the Welwyn Garden Heritage Trust joins forces with English Heritage, the library and Bryan Parkes to share aerial images – past and present – of the town.

The evening event will give participants the chance to see aerial photographs of Welwyn Garden City taken in the 1920s and 1930s by Aerofilms, part of a new online library being created by English Heritage through the Britain from Above initiative.  The photographs show the town’s early layout as the road infrastructure was being populated by buildings – many of which are still recognisable today.

“The Britain from Above website currently contains thousands of aerial photographs of the whole country, but it is at events like these, where you meet people who have lived in the areas photographed for many years that you start to understand some of the stories behind the pictures,” comments Sandra Brauer, Britain from Above activity officer.  “These events really provide us with a showcase for some of these stunning photographs and we always encourage people to continue their exploration of the archive and share their own memories and factual knowledge about the photographs when they get home on www.britainfromabove.org.uk .”

Contrasting with the archive images from Britain from Above, local photographer Bryan Parkes will also be displaying some of his contemporary 3D aerial images of Welwyn Garden City – a wonderful way to contrast the development of the town over the last 90 years.

“The Aerofilm images are unique – they used cutting edge techniques and skills to create a record of Britain from the 1920s onwards – and they provide a superb contrast with Bryan Parkes’ images, which do the same thing using the latest 3d technology.  Together, the two create a remarkable way of viewing the changes – and similarities – between the town in its infancy and the place we live today,” comments Angela Eserin of Welwyn Garden Heritage Trust, who has co-ordinated the evening. 

During the evening, participants will also be able to see the library’s own collection of images of Welwyn Garden City from above, part of the extensive local archives housed at the library.  Library staff will be on hand to share their expertise on how to access these resources.

The event runs from around 7.00pm to approximately 9.30pm, with the first talks taking place at 7.30pm.  Admission is free, but participants must reserve a place.  Tickets are available in advance from the library.  For more details, please call Welwyn Garden City Library on 0300 123 4049 or email hertsdirect@hertscc.gov.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Britain from Above is a four year Heritage Lottery funded project managed by English Heritage to conserve, digitise, catalogue and make available online the first 95,000 images of a unique collection of aerial photography, taken between 1919 and 1953. The collection comprises of over 1.2 million photographs in total, taken by the pioneering company Aerofilms Ltd between 1919 and 2006.

The images provide an unparalleled photographic history of Britain from the air in the twentieth century illustrating the enormous changes that have taken place in housing, leisure, industry, transport and agriculture and the physical impact of two World Wars. English Heritage works in partnership with the Royal Commissions on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales and Scotland to make those images freely available on www.britainfromabove.org.uk for all to see.

For further media information, please contact:

Jay Commins – PRO English Heritage (Education)

Tel: 01904 500698

Mob: 07810 546567

Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk