The 1990s opened with economic recession and ended with a change of government and the growing presence of mobile phones and the internet. The Labour landslide of 1997 brought 18 years of Conservative government to an end, but the decade cannot be reduced to a simple story of renewed optimism. Unemployment, continuing industrial decline and the redevelopment of towns and cities were experienced unevenly across Britain, while disputes over inequality, race, sexuality and national identity remained part of public life.

Music and youth culture developed through overlapping regional scenes. Rave and club culture expanded through clubs, free parties, pirate radio and journeys between towns and venues. Jungle and drum and bass emerged from Black British music cultures, while hip-hop, electronic music and guitar bands found new audiences. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 increased police powers relating to raves, travellers, protest and land use, prompting opposition documented within BCA’s collection of protests and disputes.

By the middle of the decade, Britpop, British fashion, cinema and the Young British Artists were increasingly presented as evidence of a newly confident country. The phrase “Cool Britannia” brought parts of this culture into the political and media image of New Labour, but it did not describe Britain as a whole. The decade’s cultural history was also shaped by football, nightlife, local music scenes and the people whose experiences rarely entered the national campaign. 

The photographs brought together in The People’s Archive were contributed by members of the public. They document homes, streets, school, work, football, nights out, clothing and time spent with friends, showing the decade through the everyday experiences of the people who lived through it.