Poignant photographs of the Windrush generation arriving and starting to settle in the UK have gone on display outside a Hackney gallery.

The outdoor exhibition Journeys to Hope runs on the side of Autograph's building in Rivington Place until September.Hackney Gazette: Sunday Best on board the Begona, March 6, 1962Sunday Best on board the Begona, March 6, 1962 (Image: Courtesy of TopFoto and Autograph London)

Visitors can come at any time to see the display, which captures some of the thousands of men women and children from Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean on their journey to the UK.

The British government invited them to relocate after the Second World War to address labour shortages, with the first group arriving on the ship Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks.Hackney Gazette: Train Journey to the Land of Promise, May 1, 1954Train Journey to the Land of Promise, May 1, 1954 (Image: Courtesy TopFoto and Autograph London)

As well as passengers on board and disembarking from the Windrush in June 1948, the black and white photographs follow their onward train journeys, and migrants sheltering in Clapham South's Underground shelter while seeking accomodation. Many would settle in nearby Brixton which was the site of the nearest labour exchange.

They also depict people leaving the liner Begona at Southampton shortly before the Commonwealth Immigration Act came into force, on 2 July 1962.Hackney Gazette: A first glimpse of England, Southampton Docks, November 30, 1961A first glimpse of England, Southampton Docks, November 30, 1961 (Image: Courtesy of TopFoto and Autograph London)

Autograph, a visual arts charity which exhibits the work of artists who use photography and film to highlight issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, acquired 37 images from the TopFoto archive in 2020.

Some can be seen for the first time in the outdoor display, alongside quotes by Jamaican-born cultural theorist Professor Stuart Hall. The exhibition aims to increase access to Autograph's collection, and for those who cannot make it in person, there is an online gallery of all the images on the charity's website. Hackney Gazette: Wet Welcome into Southampton Docks from passenger vessel Montserrat October 24, 1961Wet Welcome into Southampton Docks from passenger vessel Montserrat October 24, 1961 (Image: Couresy of TopFoto and Autograph London)A gallery spokeswoman said: "These works share the journey before, during and after arriving in the UK. These important photographs, alongside their stories, are now part of Autograph’s permanent collection of photography that aims to preserve the legacy of important narratives that have contributed to British history."

Journeys to Hope runs January 5 until September 2023 at Autograph, Rivington Place, EC2A. https://autograph.org.uk/exhibitions/recent-acquisition-journeys-to-hope