The exhibition, entitled ‘Crawley New Town seen through the lens of Wolf Suschitzky’, features photographs taken by Wolf Suschitzky of the early development of Crawley New Town more than six decades ago.
The photographs were commissioned to capture life in the New Town ten years after construction had begun. Along with images made in the other emerging new towns around the country, a small selection of images was featured in an exhibition held at the Royal Academy in 1959 to highlight the progress of the first wave of home building and new town development following World War Two.
Photographer and researcher Dr. Julia Winckler rediscovered Wolf Suschitzky’s collection of photographs during a research residency at Fotohof, a Salzburg-based non-commercial gallery which cares for the Wolf Suschitzky archive. Along with exhibition curation partners Dr. Kurt Kaindl, Co-Founder of Fotohof Salzburg, and Ms Georgia Wrighton, a colleague at the University of Brighton specialising in Town Planning, Crawley Museum was approached to host the exhibition, co-curated by Jo Pettipher, Learning and Liaison Officer, Crawley Museum, and Vice Chair Mick Waters.
Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Crawley Borough Council, Councillor Sue Mullins, Cabinet member for Community Engagement and Culture, and Councillor Chris Mullins, Cabinet member for Leisure and Wellbeing, visited the exhibition at the recent special launch event.
Councillor Michael Jones said, “The exhibition at Crawley Museum features a fantastic collection of photographs of Crawley New Town by this notable historic photographer. This has been a major piece of work involving academics from the University of Brighton and a real example of a strong local community organisation adding some stimulating and interesting events to the borough. It is a testament to the work done to utilise The Tree as a hub for a museum located in a central area for the borough.
"I hope everyone interested in our local history, or wants to take a trip down memory lane, takes the opportunity to visit our excellent museum while this exhibition is on. They could take a look at many of the other interesting items from our past on display."
Incorporating artefacts and documents from the museum’s collection, the exhibition provides new insights into the early phases of the town’s development and the photographs reveal fascinating details of the lives of the first generation of 'first generation of new towners as they commute, work, shop, learn and play. The photographs serve as a valuable cultural and visual archive not only for town planners or photography and architectural historians, but most importantly, they constitute an invaluable resource for contemporary residents and communities, offering a rare glimpse into everyday life in Crawley at a pivotal point in its evolution, and as a reminder of the optimism of this period of urban development and how it might inspire a vision for the future.
The exhibition runs until 26 April 2025 and entry is free. Crawley Museum is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10.30 until 4pm.
Further information can be found at crawleymuseums.org
