Berwick’s History in Focus in New Photography Exhibition: 1840 – 1980

The Light of Days Past: Photography in Berwick 1850-1980 explores how the art of photography has thrived in the town almost since its invention. The town’s first photographic studio opened in 1849, sparking a tradition which would go on to capture the likenesses of generations of inhabitants of Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal.

During the 19th century, travelling photographers, working from mobile studios would stop in the town. Although many of these were fleeting, William De Lan and his three daughters, who were also photographers, eventually made Berwick their home.

As technology changed, photography became even more embedded in the lives of our predecessors. Photographs began to appear in newspapers, could be sent abroad in the form of a postcard or with the click of a shutter on an inexpensive personal camera, capture a candid moment for posterity.

The exhibition has been developed in partnership by The Maltings and Berwick Record Office and curated by Cameron Robertson, who said “Berwick has been linked to photography since the invention of the daguerreotype in the 1830s, and we are lucky that the town has been documented so comprehensively since then. 

The exhibition features work from the vast array of photographers who have recorded life in the town over the past 150 years and how they have been informed by the technological developments in the medium itself.”

The exhibition includes over 100 images of the town and its residents with works from Berwick Record Office, Getty Images, Guild of Freemen of Berwick, David Moor Collection and Jim Walker Estate.

The Light of Other Days: Photography in Berwick 1850 – 1980 is open at the Granary Gallery, Dewar’s Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed from 25 October 2025 – 22 February 2026. Open Wednesday – Sunday 11am- 4pm with free admission, donations welcome.

For more information, visit The Maltings website: https://www.maltingsberwick.co.uk/whats-on/the-light-of-days-past-photography-in-berwick-1840-1980