40 years, Picture that in Maitland: 1972

January 27 2012 — February 26 2012

Mercury Staff Photographer, Flood Street (detail), 1972, silver gelatin print, 29.5 x 45.5cm
Mercury Staff Photographer, Flood Street (detail), 1972, silver gelatin print, 29.5 x 45.5cm

What were you doing 40 years ago – where you born, perhaps 1972 is the year you finished school, started a new job or got married?

Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) in conjunction with Maitland City Council (MCC) and supported by Maitland Mercury is proud to showcase Maitland in 1972 with an exhibition titled 40 years, Picture that in Maitland: 1972.

Curated by Maitland Mercury chief photographer Cath Bowen, the exhibition features over 50 black and white images mined from the Maitland Mercury archives.

Fuel shortages, local disasters, political agendas, significant social change, fashion flares and even cutting edge popular culture are all featured in this fun and inviting exhibition.  With these images we can see Maitland experienced fire and flood, High Street headaches and drama, political upheaval and significant social change.

Bowen has assembled a series of images that allow us to peer through the rose coloured glasses of 40 years and nostalgically, or indeed critically, look at how we have grown as a community in Maitland.