John Laing photos generate massive interest
Thursday January 23, 2020 in News
THE massive amount of interest in the historic John Laing photos recently released as part of the Breaking New Ground project has led to requests from media outlets to speak with some of the people featured in them. The John Laing Charitable Trust’s project partner Historic England has received requests from newspaper and TV outlets to speak with former employees featured in the images. Since the release of 2,000 pictures from the archives on January 13, newspapers and TV outlets across the country have been publishing the images. Another 8,000 are due to be released by the end of the project this summer. They cover the period between the Second World War and the end of the Century. Alongside some of the country’s most iconic construction projects, such as The CIS Tower in Manchester, The Barbican, M6, M1, Birmingham Airport and Second Severn Crossing, the images show how the Company looked after its people. There are images of Company outings to the seaside, sports days, events plus examples of the welfare and social support provided. It has also led to a large number of enquiries from members of the public ranging from those who used to work for the Company to their children and grandchildren, who knew of John Laing from the stories that their parents or grandparents told. The daughter of Company photographer John Sulman got in touch to say how happy he would have been that these images are being made available. If you are featured in any of the images, or know anyone whose family members are featured and would not mind being interviewed, please contact Alex Finkenrath at alex.finkenrath@jlct,org.uk This picture from 1962 features new 
apprentice Ian Blackett with Foreman Bricklayer Harry Varah.