Late photographer's street images go on display

A recently discovered archive of images of Walsall taken by a late photographer and journalist which were found in a loft, is to go on display at an exhibition.

Sharon Hepburn, who worked for BBC TV as a producer and director and was a video journalist, died aged 62 from breast cancer in 2023.

Her collection of hundreds of images of life in Walsall in the 1980s, including street markets, homeless hostels, factories and clubs, were discovered after her death.

Organisers said an exhibition, featuring 40 of the photographs, will launch on Saturday as part of the Fotofest 2026 Visual Expo in Walsall.

The event aims to bring together photographers and creatives for a day of inspiration and networking, Walsall Council added.

Hepburn's exhibition will premiere at The Table Coffee Shop on Lower Hall Lane from 18:00 BST on the day and run until 9 October.

The TV producer studied for a visual arts degree at West Midlands College, now the University of Wolverhampton, from 1982 to 1985, and shot much of her own footage for a wide range of documentaries.

Hepburn's family are planning to publish her wider archive online and in a printed collection in the future.

Organisers said they were also hoping that people featured in her street photography might recognise themselves and get in touch through the online archive.

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