Birmingham exhibition to celebrate people of the Commonwealth

The images are from a collection by self-taught photographer Ernest Dyche and his son Malcolm, who had two studios in Birmingham

Portraits of people from Commonwealth nations who settled in Birmingham are to go on display in a new exhibition.

It has been created from the Dyche Collection, with photos taken by Ernest Dyche and his son Malcolm, who had two studios in the city.

Little is known about many of those featured in the photos, and exhibition organisers are appealing for the stories behind the portraits.

A version of the show is also touring Birmingham schools.

The show is being produced by Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage

The images which were acquired by Birmingham Central Library in 1990 and will form the exhibition, which is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Self-taught photographer Ernest Dyche and his son produced individual, group, family and wedding portraits.

Most of those featured in the images are anonymous

Over the last 14 months, Sampad said archivists had searched through more than 10,000 photographs stored in boxes.

The charity, which focuses on South Asian and British Asian arts and heritage, has compiled the exhibition, which documents migration to Birmingham after the end of World War Two.

While no records of most of those in the images survive, Pavandeep Gill contacted the exhibition organisers after finding out pictures of her grandparents had been taken at The Dyche Studios in the 1950s.

Organisers say the exhibition will document post-1945 migration

"A picture of my grandparents has always been on the wall at home," she said.

"When they died in 2019, we took the frames down and noticed the photographs had been taken at The Dyche Studios.

"After much research, we got in touch with the Library of Birmingham who told us Sampad were putting together the exhibition."

Pavandeep Gill found a picture of her grandparents taken at The Dyche studios

The image will now be among those included in the exhibition

Pavandeep Gill's grandfather's portrait will be among those included in the exhibition

Her grandparents' photograph will now be displayed in the exhibition and organisers are hopeful that more people will come forward so the stories behind the photographs can be told.

The exhibition will run from 18 March to 18 June at the Library of Birmingham and a digital version of the archive will be made available in the future.

The exhibition will run from 18 March to 18 June