Bolton, 1970s: Photographs by Don Tonge

In his photographs from the 1970s, Don Tonge documents the industrial landscape of Bolton, capturing a town in transition and offering a quietly perceptive reflection on a period often remembered for its sense of simplicity and social stability.

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Tonge’s large body of work captures children playing out in the streets — swinging from rope swings in front of derelict buildings, finding their own adventures, and getting up to the kind of mischief that now feels almost unthinkable. That sense of freedom and discovery has long since been eroded by the cautious reach of health and safety. Born and raised in Bolton, Don Tonge wandered the streets of his hometown with his camera, quietly documenting these fleeting moments of everyday life. What once seemed ordinary and unremarkable has, with time, become something extraordinary — a poignant record of a way of life that has all but disappeared.

"I left school at fifteen without qualifications and initially worked in the building trade. Eventually, I started to get work as a freelance photographer for many years, shooting press and portraits. I spent about eight years as the front-of-house photographer for The Octagon Theatre in Bolton. However, my passion has always been Documentary Photography."

— Don Tonge

Northern Life

Tonge’s extensive archive offers an intimate and enduring portrait of everyday life in Bolton — not just of strangers, but of friends, neighbours, and familiar faces from his own community. Like many great documentary photographers, his work is rooted in personal experience, and that authenticity radiates through every frame. At the British Culture Archive, we recognise his photography as standing among the finest examples of British documentary work of the 20th century. His powerful and often gently humorous images capture life in a northern town with warmth, honesty, and a sharp sensitivity to the moments and details that make the ordinary extraordinary.

Exhibtions

Alongside his Bolton archive, Tonge has created several other significant bodies of work, including his self-published Seaside series — a decades-long chronicle of British coastal resorts from the 1970s onwards — The Reform Club, which captures the spirit and sociability of Bolton’s nightlife during the same decade, and Good Day at the Races (1980), photographed over the course of a single day at Haydock Park.

Tonge’s photographs have been exhibited widely across the UK and are now celebrated as part of the British Culture Archive collections.

Exclusive Limited Editions

Edition prints by Don Tonge are available exclusively through the British Culture Archive shop. Each print has been produced in collaboration with the photographer, ensuring the highest quality and faithfulness to the original images. These limited editions offer collectors a rare opportunity to own an enduring piece of British documentary photography, celebrating Tonge’s remarkable vision and his contribution to the cultural history of the North.

Published
February 8, 2021