The Vanley Burke Collection

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): MS 2192

Title: The Vanley Burke Collection

Date(s): 1965 - 1999

Level of description: Fonds

Extent and medium of the unit of description: c. 20 boxes of photographs

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s): Vanley Burke

Administrative/Biographical history: Born in Jamaica in 1951, Vanley moved to Birmingham in 1965, armed with a camera given to him by his grandmother. He began taking photographs of the Handsworth area of the city, and over the past thirty years has been steadily adding to the collection. His first exhibition, entitled Handsworth from Inside, was displayed at Grove Lane Junior School in 1970.

Vanley’s images document daily life in the city, from children playing in Handsworth Park to shoppers on the Soho Road. However, the collection also includes photos of public events in the lives of Birmingham’s African Caribbean community, of protest and solidarity marches that have equally been a part of the story of contemporary black Britain. This wide range of subjects is mirrored in Vanley’s choice of venues to display his work, which range from museums and galleries through to schools, community centres and libraries.

Along with his images of Birmingham, Vanley has been involved in projects and exhibitions in other British cities, including Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester and Nottingham. He was also in South Africa shortly after the release of Nelson Mandela, and the shots taken during this and a later trip in 1996 formed the exhibition Nkunzi (the Zulu word for black). During his visits, Vanley came to be known as 'nkunzi myama' (the black bull). His photographic exhibition was shown at Soho House and the Central Library in 1998.

Archival history: Deposited with the archive by Vanley Burke in 1999

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer:

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: The collection includes photographs taken by Vanley for exhibitions and projects in both the UK and abroad. The majority depict the Handsworth area of Birmingham in which Vanley grew up, but there are also images of Leicester, Manchester, London, Soweto, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

As well as his photographs, Vanley has expanded the collection to include ephemera that refers specifically to the Afro-Caribbean community in Birmingham. This series includes such items as street hoardings, posters, advertisements, fliers and menus.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information: Permission to destroy not given. Any duplicates are to be returned to the depositor

Accruals: Further accruals are expected, both from Vanley Burke himself, and museums and galleries that have displayed his work

System of arrangement: The photographs are arranged chronologically, according to each project and exhibition that Vanley has participated in; the ephemera is currently being arranged by subject.

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access: The collection can be accessed by the public, preferably by prior arrangement

Conditions governing reproduction: Photographs may not be photocopied. Photographic copies for personal use may be taken without the depositor’s consent. All other requests (e.g. for publication) must be cleared with the depositor

Language/scripts of material: English

Physical characteristics: photographs

Finding aids: Printed catalogue to the photographs; the ephemera is currently being catalogued

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

Existence and location of originals: Birmingham City Archive, Central Library, Chamberlain Square
Birmingham B3 3HQ

Existence and location of copies:

Related units of description: Other photographs by Vanley Burke are currently held by Walsall Art Galley. These relate to exhibitions of Vanley’s work there, and they are awaiting transfer to Birmingham City Archive

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note: Compiled by David Bishop

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: February 2002

Interest: Black

Specific group: African-Caribbean peoples, South Africans

Subjects

Photographs

Anti-apartheid movements

African-Caribbean peoples

Ethnic groups

Communities

Personal/Corporate names

Nkunzi Myama (the 'Black Bull')

Burke, Vanley, 1951-

Places

South Africa

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Leicester, United Kingdom

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Manchester, United Kingdom

Birmingham, United Kingdom