Hidden Histories: The Wingfield Project

In 2023, University of Derby Photography students visited the Wingfield Station Project in Amber Valley, Derbyshire, to document its transformation. As one of Britain’s oldest surviving railway station buildings, Wingfield Station holds significant historical and architectural value. After years of neglect, ongoing restoration efforts aim to preserve its legacy while adapting it for future use. Through quiet observation, Orisunayo Akinniran, Nina Erminio, and Carla Collinson captured the station’s evolving landscape, bearing witness to its gradual revival. Their photographic documentation spans architectural details, traces of past occupancy, and the shifting atmosphere of the site as work progresses. This evolving archive, now gifted to the project, serves as both a historical record and a reflection on the passage of time. Hidden Histories presents a curated selection of images and ephemera from this collection. The works seamlessly integrate into their surroundings rather than demand attention, inviting viewers to engage with the subtleties of place, change, and memory. The exhibition highlights the delicate relationship between presence and absence by focusing on the intangible remnants of history—fading inscriptions, weathered textures, and overlooked fragments. This project underscores the power of photography as a means of preservation and storytelling, offering a quiet yet evocative meditation on the station’s past, present, and future.

Facilitated by Dr. Gemma Marmalade.