Amazing photos take you on a tour of Manchester city centre over the past 100 years

Manchester Archives+ has published an online memory box of old pictures of Manchester, so we can all stay connected with the city we love while in lockdown. 

The album features loads of photos that the project hopes will help people connect with loved ones, discover their family history, remember what their childhood was like, and generally look back at the city they grew up in.

Archives+ explain that sharing memories of days gone by helps to bring families together, and elderly relative’s stories can not only give an insight into their lives but also provide comfort to families. 

There will be a new memory box released each week – the first starts off with collections of Manchester City Centre and the surrounding area.

The album is split up into City Centre and additionally, six worksheets which are based on six themes: Industry, Place, Health and Living Conditions, Pastimes, Radical Thinking, Communities. 

The worksheets, Archives+ hopes, can act as a prompt to start conversation. They offer the chance to write what you see, so families can highlight any changes. 

They are also asking the public to dig out their old photos and share them on social media with the hashtag #ArchivesPlusMemorybox. 

If you can’t share your pictures online, you can take your copies to local libraries when they re-open.

In the coming year, Archives+ hopes to create an exhibition in your local library will all the submissions, from online or in person. 

In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the amazing photos: