Colchester 24

In 1986 there was an exhibition of local photography called ‘Just Another Day’ in which 20 local photographers had combined to capture life in Colchester over a 24-hour period on October 21 and 22nd that year. The exhibition attracted a great deal of attention, but in due course it closed and the photographs were put into storage. Twenty five years passed, and in 2011 another team of photographers founded the Colchester 24 Trust to photograph Colchester over another 24-hour period from Noon on Friday October 21st to Noon on Saturday October 22nd 2011 - exactly 25 years after the original event. By now, of course, there had been a revolution in photography thanks to the widespread availability of electronic cameras. By contrast, with strong backing from the Essex County Standard newspaper, ‘Colchester 24’ was thrown open to the Colchester public, inviting them to capture life in Colchester in 2011; to compile an archive for future generations to see. The outcome was overwhelming. Over 5,000 electronic images were contributed by about 200 photographers, which included schoolchildren, students, grandparents and amateur photographers of all kinds.