Never-before-seen photos taken by renowned photographer Peter Lavery of Leeds's homeless in 1968 go on display

The black and white images were taken by the Wakefield-born photographer during his time as a student at the Leeds College of Ar in 1968.

Over the course of just two weeks that summer, he went out with his camera on nightly excursions to record the homeless people who relied upon the city’s St George’s Crypt for food and shelter.

Having been placed in storage not long after, they lay forgotten until finally being unearthed by Peter last year during the Covid-19 lockdown – and will now be exhibited at Blank_ Space Gallery, in Playhouse Square, from October9-22, to mark the 91st birthday of St George’s Crypt.

Peter recalled: “When I began working on this subject I could not help but become drawn in emotionally. I remember being moved by the scene in front of me. Almost always, the stories were similar. Some, as the Vicar put it, ‘like this man, just down on his luck’. I began travelling out late at night back to Leeds city centre and to the Crypt where they slept.”

When he discovered the photos, he contacted the Crypt and spoke to head of marketing Andrew Omond and together they decided to laucn the exhibition to coincide with its anniversary.

Andrew said: “We went into Covid planning our 90th birthday celebrations.