Product Description

In the 1950s and 60s, aware of what was about to happen to Birmingham, Dennis Norton took his camera and went to work. Photographing buildings along the route of the forthcoming inner ring road, around New Street station and in other areas of the city due for redevelopment, he captured a Birmingham that is now long gone - but fondly remembered by many. Almost half a century later, Mark Norton discovered these photographs, taken by the father he never knew: Dennis died just six weeks before his son was born. Mark set about retracing his father's footsteps, to discover what has been lost and to compare past with present. In the process, he gained a respect for Birmingham that had been missing when he grew up amid the concrete and dereliction, subways and urban motorways of the 1970s. Mark also feels that the project has formed a link with his father that up until now has been missing. Anyone who grew up in post-war Birmingham, especially in the 1950s and '60s, will be fascinated by these recently rediscovered photographs; anyone who has only recently moved to the city will be astonished to see the changes that have taken place.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8142 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Customer Reviews

Memories of Birmingham
This book does exactly what it says on the tin - compares photographs taken mainly by the author's Father during the 1950's and 1960's with modern views taken by his Son (the author) from the same vantage points.
Together with the informative captions this book shows just how radically Birmingham has changed over the past 5 decades. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who remembers Birmingham as it was, the major changes of the 1960's, and what we're left with today.

A Pictorial Treasure Trove
Birmingham Past and Present: In My Father's Footsteps is a collection of photographs of Birmingham from two generations: that of the author, Mark Norton, and that of his father, Dennis Norton, who recorded the changes that were taking place in Birmingham in the mid-twentieth century.

Mark Norton presents his father's pictures side by side with his own recent photographs taken from the same viewpoint. They cover the city centre and the changes (usually for the worse) brought by the construction of the inner ring road, and there are chapters devoted to New Street Station, to South Birmingham and to the city-wide tram network which came to an end in July 1953.

For anyone who grew up in Birmingham in the middle of the last century, as I did, this book is a treasure-house which will reawaken long-buried memories. For younger readers - i.e. anyone under forty! - it provides a fascinating window into Birmingham's past.

Unique view of Birmingham in a period of architectural change
Having grown up in Birmingham over the late 50s and 60s the book contains a fascinating review of how much change was introduced by the city planners as they dealt with the need to renew parts of the city centre, and improve public transport and the flow of traffic. The book is 160 pages, with good quality before and after photographs on most pages.