From 24 January to 12 April, Gallery Two was transformed into a time capsule of Preston’s past.

The walls were adorned with photographs and original watercolour paintings by Edwin Williams, showing different locations in and around Preston. Each piece was accompanied by a deeply personal story, relating to the area, or the individuals pictured within the photographs.

Many visitors connected with the stories, with some travelling from far and wide to come together and explore their own family history through Edwin’s masterfully recoloured photographs. Brenda, pictured below with Edwin, visited the exhibition with her daughter to see the restored photograph of her grandfather, Sydney Forster.

Sydney worked for the Preston firm J. Marsden and Co Ltd, and was a Reservist with only a fortnight more to serve when he was sent for. Sydney very sadly died in a Boulogne Hospital on 13th December 1914 aged just 31. Edwin has generously gifted the photograph of Sydney to Brenda and her family. The photograph will now hang in pride of place in Brenda’s home.

After exploring the exhibition, many other visitors took the time to leave a comment in Edwin’s guestbook. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive; it’s clear to see how much joy the exhibition brought to the people of Preston. Here’s a few of the comments…

“Wonderful exhibition and such dedication to accurately colouring the photographs”

“An informative and enjoyable experience. The restoration brings to life photos that you would think were beyond repair” 

“Talk about bringing history to life, this goes beyond that! Excellent, captivating, charming” 

“Absolutely amazing, magical. Deserves a prize! How lovely to speak to Edwin too – a true artist”

“Taken on a journey of discovery without the stress of a journey” 

“What a treasure trove to have captured for future generations. Thank you, you have inspired me to pick up the paintbrush again too!”