Portrait of a girl eating a donut on the street
'Donut', Haymarket, Leicester. Source Historic England Archive HEC01/128/02/01/02 © Clair Robins
'Donut', Haymarket, Leicester. Source Historic England Archive HEC01/128/02/01/02 © Clair Robins

Picturing High Streets Collection 

Since September 2022, we have been inviting the public to submit their photos of the high street on Instagram so that we can document and celebrate the high street of today. Chosen from thousands of images, this collection of over 60 reveals just some of the stories behind our shopfronts.

From high street heroes to candid street scenes, the images invite you to take a fresh look at your high street. Together, they celebrate the history, experiences and connections of the people and places that make up an often overlooked fixture in our lives.

Picturing High Streets Collection 

Over 60 photographs, selected from thousands submitted by the general public, documenting and celebrating the high street of today. 

Explore the collection

A snapshot of a year in the life of the English high street

A panel of judges including designer and retail expert Wayne Hemingway MBE, artist Camille Walala, Ben Hope, Clear Channel’s Marketing Director and Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England have chosen more than 60 of their favourites to form this collection in the Historic England Archive, the nation’s archive for England’s historic buildings, archaeology and social history.

You can see these in the Picturing High Streets outdoor exhibition, touring towns and cities across England from March 2023. 

Take Part

Remember the project continues until 30 September 2023, so you can still submit your high street photos.

Find out more

Highlights from the collection

Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.

Exterior view showing the Mount Street entrance to the Midland Hotel with a girl walking passed A night time scene showing a giant bauble illuminated with Christmas lights on St John's Square A photograph of a street corner. On one side of the wall, a large painted advertisement reads, “F.R. STUBBS IRONMONGER SLIDING DOOR GEAR TOOLS FOR ALL TRADES”. On the other side of the wall, there is an entrance to a business. Interior view of a laundrette, with a person sitting on a bench silhouetted against the window waiting for their clothes. A close-up photograph of a pigeon, in front of a fast-food restaurant with a white sign with red text reading 'KFC' visible. A black and white portrait photograph of a man sitting inside his food van. A person can be seen serving someone at the counter behind him. A photograph of a man sitting at a table in a café with blue walls. Above him is a painting of white buildings on a Greek island. The words 'Café restaurant' can be seen above him, the shadow of text from the window (off camera.) A photograph of a woman wearing a pink and white checked shirt and a white cap, behind the counter in a sweet shop. Jars of sweets line the wall behind her. A photograph at night of a building lit up red and a stylistic light trail from a retreating bus reading 'St Helens 89' A photograph of a restaurant at night. The interior is lit yellow and the sign above reads 'Voodoo Ray's' in red light. A photograph of an old stone building with the sea in the background. A sign on the building reads ’The Old Post Office’. A busy scene showing people walking along the Promenade, with Funland in the foreground and the Blackpool Tower in the background
More about Picturing High Streets

Supported by

HM Government
Heritage Fund logo
Arts Council
Format Quad
Grain
Impressions Gallery
Open Eye Gallery
Photofusion
The Photographers' Gallery
The Photographic Collections Network
Photoworks
Redeye
ReFramed
University of the Arts London
Clear Channel logo

Also of interest

Picturing High Streets Outdoor Exhibition
Take Part in Picturing High Streets