Exhibition: A Journey Through Time

A new exhibition at the Core Library, Solihull invites visitors to explore the town’s history.

The free exhibition Solihull Heritage: A Journey Through Time is in the Heritage Gallery on the first floor of The Core until 28th February 2026.

The project, developed by a team of volunteers, brings together historic photographs from the early 1900s — originally published in Solihull As It Was — alongside matching images from c.1982 and the present day. Through research and interpretation, these images have been transformed into a series of posters that tell the evolving story of Solihull.

The exhibition begins with the completion of St. Alphege Church in the 13th century and traces the town’s journey through its market-town origins, the arrival of the railway, post-war expansion, and the opening of Touchwood Shopping Centre in 2001.

The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to reflect on Solihull’s past and its continuing growth. Everyone is warmly invited to explore the town’s story.

Solihull As it Was

A booklet of old photographs of Solihull was published in 1980 by Local History Librarian, Susan Bell, and local historian Joy Woodall (1932-2024).

Copies of the book are still available to purchase from The Core Library (cost £2).

Norman F. Smith (1921-2015)

When the book was published, Shirley resident and keen photographer, Norman Smith, took his camera out to the locations featured in Solihull As It Was and tried to taking matching contemporary photographs.

His family kindly donated these photographs to The Core Library in 2025 and library staff thought it would be interesting to create an exhibition featuring original images from the book, Norman Smith’s photographs from c.1982 and photographs of those same locations today.

Volunteers offered to take contemporary photographs and create captions to bring the book’s research up to date.