Liverpool and the surrounding area, particularly Bootle and Birkenhead, were subjected to heavy bombing during the Second World War, most notably 80 years ago during the May Blitz of 1941.
More than 4000 people were killed, 10,000 homes were destroyed, and 70,000 citizens were made homeless.
The devastation and destruction of so many homes, pubs, churches, warehouses and large public buildings produced tons of rubble. From clearing the bombsites, this rubble was collected and deposited on a mile long stretch of the coast at Crosby Beach, 5 miles north of the city. For many years’ vegetation grew and covered much of it. However, due to coastal erosion the tide is now uncovering the remnants of those lives and homes.
This mosaic of bricks, masonry, tiles, concrete, marble, reinforcing steel and glass is the archaeology of a lost city, that is steadily being revealed.
Photographer Stephanie Wynne has lived in Merseyside for the majority of her life and has visited Crosby Beach since she was a child - it is a familiar yet ever changing landscape. This work began in response to Stephanie wishing to record the unconventional beauty of the beach whilst creating a link with her family history; over the past few years she has lost all those family members who were witnesses to the Blitz in Liverpool - the living memory of how the city survived is fading.
Some of the photographs were taken at night and lit by torch light to reflect the hours of darkness when her terrified family along with all of Liverpool sat sheltering from the bombing raids.
These photographs are not about war but about a sense of place, survival, resilience and recovery. They are testament to the memory of her family members who lived and survived the devastation, who rebuilt their own lives but like many Liverpool citizens they were also party to the reconstruction of the city that we see today.