New book looks back at changing scenes of Sheffield back in 1988

Huge pipework at Edgar Allen's works in Sheffield, pictured in 1989 by photographer Berris Conolly

More than 30 years ago, Untitle Gallery launched an extensive three year Sheffield Project to document the significant changes taking place in the city then – calling it “Regeneration.”

That was in 1988, and photographer Berris Conolly was awarded one of the first commissions, focusing on the industrial Lower Don Valley, then a scene of half cleared brownfield sites and ongoing demolition.

Nursery Street, Sheffield by Berris Conolly

Berris, who moved to Sheffield from London for the project, is now releasing a new book focusing on his work at that time.

“Coming from London, I was particularly struck by the lack of traffic – at that time you could easily drive across the city in the rush hour, and the lower Don Valley was eerily quiet", recalled Berris.

“I had just spent two years photographing the streets and landscape of Hackney, and I continued to use the same medium format camera here in Sheffield.”

Berris still lives in Sheffield and is still photographing the world around him – albeit on a digital camera. His new Sheffield book follows a similar one of his previous work in Hackney. Berris added: “I still live in Sheffield, and am currently working on a project photographing the landscape within a mile radius of my home.”

A view over the city centre in 1989 with the Durham Ox pub on Cricket Inn Road in the foreground, pictured by photographer Berris Conolly

Sheffield Photographs 1988-1992 is published by Dewi Lewis Publishing this month at £30.

It is introduced by award winning Sheffield-born writer Geoff Nicholson .

A retrospective show of all the photographers’ work in the original Regeneration project is also now scheduled for Weston Park Museum.