5:21pm Tuesday 6th September 2011
By Barbara Jordan
RECENTLY unearthed, personal letters which turned out to be remarkable historical documents, are on display at The Brindley, until September 24.
The thought-provoking Lightfoot Letters provide a detailed portrait of working class life in Widnes in 1923.
Textile artist Maria Walker bought the bundle of old letters in an antique shop.
Five years later, she met poet, Angela Topping and discovered they had been written by her grandparents.
The pair teamed up to produce an exhibition of textiles, poetry and art.
The letters were written by the Lightfoots to their daughter, Frances, who had moved to live with an aunt in Manchester.
Using a combination of photographs, letters, books, garments and drawings, Maria’s textile artwork explores the narrative in the correspondence.
Each of her pieces tells a story, using lines from the letters or Angela’s poetry.
Admission to the exhibition is free.
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