A 1979 photography project asked passers-by to take snaps of themselves using a makeshift studio built on a street in a multicultural Birmingham suburb. A new exhibition of the Handsworth Self Portrait images showcases how people interacted with the idea of the ‘selfie’ 40 years ago.

Running on weekends from August to October 1979, the Handsworth Self Portrait project, by Derek Bishton, Brian Homer and John Reardon, saw more than 500 people taking photographs of themselves in a range of poses – from more formal to outright playful.

The project was a fun way for local people of various ages and backgrounds to take a snapshot of their community, but photographer Derek Bishton believed there was also a more serious intent behind the idea.

He said: “We wanted to challenge the negative representation of Handsworth people in the local and national newspapers and give people a chance to literally and figuratively put themselves in the frame, to represent themselves.”

Handsworth Self Portrait: 40 Years On is at the Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, from Saturday 23 March to Sunday 2 June. All images © Derek Bishton, Brian Homer and John Reardon. All rights reserved.

courtesy BBC Arts