A new beginning: rebuilding post-war Bristol

After the devastation of the Second World War, Bristol council began to rebuild ruined areas of the city centre and provide new homes for local people.

Through highlights from two photographic collections at Bristol Archives, this exhibition charts how Bristol was redesigned and redeveloped.

Images captured by Bristol City Council’s town planning department (1951-1956) explore the changing urban landscape and the construction of new shopping streets in Broadmead.

Alongside these, photographs of council housing (1950s-1970s) show how the city tackled a major housing shortage, by repairing Victorian and Edwardian properties and investing in new houses and tower blocks.

These photographs are complementing by archival documents and film showing how Bristol started to recover from the effects of war.