Photographic Histories Reflection
From the beginning of this research project I knew that I wanted to investigate and area of history that had significance on my life personally. As the daughter of a Filipino immigrant and having grown up in Manchester for the majority of my life, I felt that I wanted to explore the significance of the city’s Chinatown and find out what historical significance this area has had on the East Asian community associated with it.
My research began by taking a physical trip to the Manchester Museum and looking at their permanent ‘Journeys’ exhibition and seeing what information and materials they had related to the Manchester Chinese Community. While I was able to find a small selection of materials, I didn’t feel that artefacts from almost a hundred years ago were pertaining to my specific area of research. The museum’s website states that appointments can be made to visit their special collections, but from the selection of materials that I saw from the public exhibition I thought that my attention would be better spent elsewhere.
I also went on a visit to the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (formerly the Chinese Arts Centre) in Manchester’s Northern Quarter to see if they had any relevant materials. This institution is actually going to be opening up their own archive and library later this year, which I feel is a positive move for the Chinese community to be opening up their own physical archive and taking control of their own history and identity. Unfortunately since it is not yet open I was unable to gain any archival research materials from there, but I was given permission to take photographs of their current exhibits by two young Chinese, UK-based artists. I asked the information desk and somewhat disappointingly neither artist is from Manchester, but it still gave an interesting look at how in modern times, Chinese arts in Manchester seem to be leaning more towards a blended cultural expression of both Mancunian and Chinese identities, signified geographically by the arts centre being in the artsy Northern Quarter rather than its original building in Chinatown.
My next port of call was Manchester Central library, which since its reopening in 2014 has made a large percentage of its archival material available for public viewing, either scanned in on screens or by appointment to view specific materials of its special collections. When I visited the Archives+ section of the museum I was able to find a number of photographs and documents all related to the Chinese community in Manchester. During my visit I was also able to gain access to the BFI North West Film Archives and found several films related to China, and one particularly useful film about Chinese Sunday schools in Manchester that offered a more personal and cultural examination of the community than the Museum materials.
This visit led me to look online and discover that all the photographs I had seen and more were available for viewing online on the library’s Flickr albums, taking advantage of modern technology to make more largely accessible viewing archives. In retrospect I would have liked to take the time to actually physically see some of these materials held at the library but unfortunately due to the limited amount of time I could actually spend in Manchester over the period of my research project I decided that I would work with the digital materials.
With the photos that were available online I attempted to use my analysis skills to break down some of the images and explore what Chinatown was like at the time that the archway was being built (e.g. the amount of shops and restaurants visible and significance of this, trying to decipher by who and for what purpose the photographs were taken). I also saw an opportunity to do some photography of my own and spent a day in Chinatown looking at the old photos and trying to see what the locations they depict correspond with now, and take a modern comparison photograph. This actually proved to be a very useful exercise as I was able to explore not only what Chinatown was like in the past, but also how that compares with the modern day and see how the physical and cultural landscape has changed.
The library also holds the Manchester Chinese Community Archive, which includes the personal archives of community members. These materials are only available by appointment, and is mostly in Chinese script. I was able to discover, however, that many of these materials were the basis for the online archive http://manchesterchinesearchive.org.uk that details personal stories of members of the community, which I was able to access freely and proved very useful in understanding the more personal aspects of immigration and what the experience was like for individuals as the website includes many quotes from interviews with community members.
One research approach that I would have like to have utilised would be conducting first hand interviews with people who immigrated to Manchester during the time period I am investigating. I have on occasion attended services at the Manchester Chinese Church and am close friends with a family who seemed willing to let me interview them, but unfortunately at the time I was in Manchester they were unavailable. This was quite disappointing as it would have really added more depth and understanding of individual experience to my research, but admittedly this could have been avoided if I had organised the interview better or been able to find more interviewees. I would definitely like to develop skills in gathering research first hand with methods like interviews in the future.
This project has definitely been a worthwhile experience of independence. My university career so far has involved working with the textbooks that are available in the university library but doing this research has allowed me to develop my skills with going to and handling archive materials, and finding sources be they physical or digital, and practice how to critically use texts for research purposes. The research that I have conducted did not happen as I had intended it to but I do feel that I have a much richer understanding of the history of Chinatown and the experience of being part of its community.