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The Made in Millbrook Photography Project.
Exploring Millbrook through photography, memory and archive.
The Made in Millbrook photography project brought together community learning, archive research and contemporary photography to explore how the area has changed — and how much of it remains recognisable — since Millbrook’s major development during the 1950s and 1960s.
Working with local residents and material held by Southampton City Archives, the project used photography as a way to look more closely at Millbrook’s streets, buildings, landmarks and public spaces. Historic photographs were compared with newly created images taken from similar viewpoints, revealing both physical change and continuity across the neighbourhood.
Photography and local memory
Researching the archive
The project recorded over 150 historic photographs and plans through visits to Southampton City Archives.
Rather than beginning with a fixed historical narrative, the project was shaped by what could be found in the archive. The available material helped determine which places, buildings and viewpoints could be explored through contemporary photography.
The archive included early development plans, construction photographs, aerial views, housing, schools, shops, public spaces and familiar landmarks such as Millbrook Tower. Together, the material offered a visual record of how the modern estate emerged and developed.
Archive photographs played an important role in the workshop. Participants were invited to identify familiar locations and share memories connected to the places shown.
These conversations demonstrated the value of local knowledge. Residents were often able to recognise streets, buildings and details that could not be identified from the photographs alone, helping place the archive material within Millbrook’s lived history.
Photography therefore became more than a way of recording buildings. It created a starting point for conversations about childhood, housing, community life, change and belonging.
Returning to the same places
Three contemporary photography shoots were carried out across Millbrook, including two sessions using drone photography.
Historic viewpoints were recreated as closely as possible, creating direct comparisons between archive photographs and the area today. Changes in buildings, roads, vegetation and surrounding development are clearly visible, while the structure and identity of many locations remain surprisingly familiar.
The repeat-photography approach does not attempt to present a complete history of Millbrook. Instead, it offers a series of visual encounters between past and present, encouraging viewers to look closely at what has changed, what has survived and how familiar places have been adapted over time.
The Building of Millbrook
(photo book)
The project resulted in a 20-page photography book titled:
The Building of Millbrook.
The publication combines historic plans and archive photographs with contemporary images, including present-day views of the same streets, schools, homes and landmarks. It also includes anonymised quotations collected through the wider Made in Millbrook project, bringing residents’ memories and experiences into conversation with the photographs.
The book includes material relating to the early vision for Millbrook, the construction of the estate, schools, housing, community spaces and the development of Millbrook Tower.
Explore the complete photography book, bringing together archive material, contemporary comparisons and residents’ memories.
What the project achieved
The photography project:
supported six residents to develop their confidence and creative photography skills;
used archive material to prompt local memories and conversations;
recorded over 150 historic photographs and plans;
completed three contemporary photography shoots;
created visual comparisons showing change and continuity across Millbrook;
produced a 20-page photography book;
created five printed books and six large permanent display prints; and
established a foundation for future community-led photography and archive work.
Looking to the future
The first edition book provides a snapshot of Millbrook’s physical development, but many more stories, locations and experiences remain to be explored.
A future edition could involve residents more extensively in choosing locations, contributing photographs, recording memories and interpreting the archive. Beginning recruitment earlier and working through established community and creative groups would provide more time for participant work to shape the final publication.
The project has shown that photography can provide an accessible and engaging way to explore local history. By bringing archive images, contemporary views and residents’ knowledge together, it allows Millbrook’s story to be seen through both its changing landscape and the experiences of the people who call it home.
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Made in Millbrook is a University of Southampton community heritage research project, delivered with support from the Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities and Testlands. The project has received ethical approval through the University of Southampton’s Ethics and Research Governance Online system: ERGO 112697. The views and experiences shared through the project belong to individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Southampton or Testlands. Copyright remains with the respective authors, photographers and rights holders; archive material is credited wherever possible.