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About Black Country Nostalgia: Preserving a Working-Class Legacy Through Photography. A Father’s Vision. A Son’s Commitment. A Region’s Story.

Silhouetted industrial chimneys emit dark smoke against a hazy, orange sunset sky, conveying pollution and industrial impact.
Two men sit in a rusty, abandoned car in front of vibrant, peeling billboards. The scene conveys decay and urban neglect, with a sombre atmosphere.
black country nostalgia is built upon the remarkable work of Peter Donnelly, an award-winning photographer and writer who began documenting the Midlands during the turbulent decades of the 1960s and 70s.
Foggy industrial street with vintage cars, a child running, and shops on the left. Overhead, a towering smokestack looms, evoking a nostalgic, gritty mood.Peter Donnelly Photographer 1960s
Armed with a Pentakon F 35mm camera and rolls of Kodachrome and Agfa film, Peter wandered the canals, factories, and backstreets of the region—capturing gritty, poetic images of a society in transformation.
Two young boys are seen through a rain-speckled bus window. The boy on the left smiles mischievously, while the boy on the right appears thoughtful.
His work freezes in time the collapse of heavy industry and the quiet resilience of the people left behind.
Silhouetted figures with fishing rods stand by a calm body of water at sunset. Smokestacks rise in the background, casting reflections on the water.
But memory fades—and film does too. overtime the layers in the emulsion of the film start to degrade.
That’s where Simon Donnelly, Peter’s son and a Birmingham-based professional photographer and creative technologist, stepped in.
Foggy industrial landscape with dimly lit smokestacks, hazy structures, and a calm river reflecting soft light, evoking a tranquil yet sombre mood.
Simon Donnelly: Breathing Digital Life into Analog Memories
With a deep respect for his father’s legacy and the rich social history it represents, Simon took on the responsibility of building BlackCountryNostalgia.com from the ground up. He developed the website as a digital archive and storytelling platform, scanning and restoring hundreds of original Kodachrome 35mm slides to high-resolution digital formats. This painstaking work preserves not only the visual quality of each image but also the emotional truth they carry.
A young boy in a green sweater and shorts stands on a brick sidewalk, hands in pockets, next to a black dog. The scene is nostalgic and warm.
Simon’s digital curation goes beyond simple preservation. Through thoughtful layout, contextual writing, and interactive storytelling, he brings new relevance to these vintage images—bridging the past with the present. The site also includes Peter’s poetic writings, regional essays, guest contributions, and excerpts from the acclaimed photobook, As If It Were Yesterday.
as it it were yesterday book cover by peter donnelly photographer
As If It Were Yesterday" softback book 153 pages photographs and poetry - available only on Amazon


Birmingham & The Black Country Remembered 1962 - 1965
A factory Round Oak Steel Works with tall chimneys emits smoke, set against a pale blue sky. Bare trees and a calm river are in the foreground, creating a sombre, industrial scene now Merry Hill
A person and a dog walk along a misty path beside a reflective canal. Industrial buildings Langley Maltings loom in the blurred, atmospheric background.
Why It Matters
In an age of rapid redevelopment and cultural amnesia, BlackCountryNostalgia.com stands as a living tribute to working-class life, a creative and historical counterpoint to the polished narratives of modern urban growth. It offers students, historians, artists, and residents a space to explore the region’s identity through authentic, emotionally raw imagery
Whether you lived it, studied it, or are just discovering it—this site invites you to slow down, reflect, and remember.
A hazy industrial scene at sunset with smoke rising from a factory, reflecting in a river. The soft yellow light creates a sombre, atmospheric tone in Saltley Birmingham 1960s
BlackCountryNostalgia.com was born out of a shared passion between father and son—a passion for storytelling, photography, and preserving the industrial soul of Birmingham and the Black Country.
Explore the Archive. Buy the Book. Share the Story.
📧 Contact: sidonnelly@aol.com
📘 View Photobooks amazon
🔗 Follow the project: facebook
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