Strangely Familiar, which opens on Wednesday night, predominantly displays the work of two leading photographers – Eric Jaquier and Peter Mitchell – who both committed to film some heart-meltingly nostalgic snapshots of an age long since gone.

The former came to Leeds in 1969 at the age of 23 as a door-to-door salesman who took photographs of the communities he met in areas like Armley and Burley, as well as some contrasting grand locations in the city centre.

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His work offers a staggering insight into 1960s Leeds which was actually rarely captured.

Curator Kerry Harker said: "Jaquier was Swiss so this world which greeted him was so far removed from anything he'd experienced in Europe.

"He actually said that the streets of the city almost seemed exotic, which is incredible to us now, but they held so much fascination for him.

"He recalled the fact that the air was thick with smoke, wherever he went the smell of burning fires lingered and there's certainly something of that captured in the shots."

Fellow director Diane Howse added: "It seems so long ago now, and so different but we're only talking about 40 years ago. Yet the pictures contain images of gas lamps and cobbled streets.

"Very few of the streets have any cars on them and there is a very real sense that this was a place where kids could just run freely and play which sadly they can't always do today.

"They seem to capture a transitionary period of history. That junction between the post war period and our modern day.

"Interestingly some of the old people you see in the shots would have actually been born or even remember Victorian times while some of the young people are still probably only middle aged now."

Also showing is the work of Peter Mitchell who snapped images of Leeds mainly in the 1970s and early 1980s.

His work is subtly different. Shot mainly in colour they focus more on buildings, constructions and objects which are Leeds through and through.

From the Quarry Hill flats to old shop fronts and derelict power stations, many will be instantly recognisable to vast swathes of the population.

"This exhibition will connect with more people than virtually any other," said Pippa Hale, the third director on the project. "With a lot of galleries they are completely detached from the outside world but this is linked with it entirely.

"There will be countless people who will come in here and straight away spot places they knew when they were a kid, or just places which up until not so long ago were still around, but already forgotten."

Harker, Howse and Hale make up three of the four members of Project Space Leeds, the organisation which runs this vast gallery on Whitehall Waterfront.

The venue is housed on the groundfloor of a new apartment and office block built by Kevin Linfoot's property company, which is on the top floor.

Art-lover Linfoot gives the space to PSL in a bid to bring new works to Leeds and Strangely Familiar is actually their third display. Last summer they hosted the Mapping Project and in the autumn Wildwood.

The team behind PSL are particularly pleased to be hosting an exhibition of this kind in the Whitehall Road gallery.

"It's such a big, bright open place." said Howse. "And it's much more inviting for people who might not normally come to a gallery.

"Your average gallery can be a bit intimidating but because this is so open and unfinished it doesn't feel as stuffy or uncomfortable as other places.

"And that's great because what we really want is to have an exhibition, which is all about Leeds and it's people, which really brings in those people."

Strangely Familiar runs from Wednesday until May 10. For more information visit www.project spaceleeds.org.uk


How YOU can be a part of the exhibition


ORGANISERS of Strangely Familiar want members of the public to play as great a role in the project as possible.

Firstly they are calling on people from all walks of life and of all ages to donate their images of Leeds to the display and are devoting a vast wall to showcasing the work.

The aim is to build up a personal view of Leeds using pictures which could be anything from a day old to a century old. There will be prizes for the best contributions.

Howse said: "Leeds is such a diverse place these days that we want to catch some of the flavour of life in the city in recent times.

"We want as many different people as possible to give their interpretation of what it's like to live here, what they do, where they go, how they dress, all those aspects – this part of the exhibition is effectively theirs.

"And what we'd like to end up with is something entirely self created which everyone else can come in and view as a developing installation in its own right."

Secondly they are hoping anyone who may think they have appeared in any of the images may come forward and identify themselves.

This naturally requires people to visit the gallery and peruse the photographs but there are several dozen, some containing many individuals and locations which will hold special meaning.

Although the pictures taken by Jaquier and Mitchell date back to the 1960s and 70s many of those featured as children will still be in their 30s to 50s. The Yorkshire Evening Post, who are supporting the event, are also keen to follow up any stories in print.

Anyone wishing to contribute images or who appear in the exhibition photos can e mail rod.mcphee@ypn.co.uk or pippahale@projectspaceleeds.org.uk or make themselves known to gallery staff. Alternatively send pictures, including name, address and telephone number(s) to Strangely Familiar project, Features Department, Yorkshire Evening Post, Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 1RF.

Contributors can send in multiple photos but only one can be selected per person.