The Rhonda Wilson Community Archive is a living, community-rooted collection, celebrating the work, activism and far-reaching influence of Birmingham photographer Rhonda Wilson.
The archive is held under the guardianship of The Old Print Works, and spans over three decades of Wilson’s work, from the 1980s to the 2010s. Photographs, letters, posters and publications sit alongside personal notes, sketches and overlooked ephemera, revealing not just what Wilson created, but how she worked, collaborated and built opportunities for others.
The Rhonda Wilson Community Archive was launched in June 2026 with a public exhibition titled Seeing Rhonda. The project was initiated by Dr Annette Naudin, Associate Professor at Birmingham City University, in partnership with The Old Print Works and in collaboration with PRISM Photography Network. Seeing Rhonda presents Wilson as more than a photographer; as a cultural entrepreneur, journalist, educator and activist, she spent over 30 years championing others and reshaping the photography landscape in Birmingham and beyond. Wilson’s constructed social documentary style of photography was underpinned by her commitment to addressing issues of women’s representation, low pay and homelessness.
From co-founding Poseurs Studio and Gallery in the late 1980s to developing influential initiatives such as Seeing the Light (founded 1995) and Rhubarb-Rhubarb (founded 1999). Personal letters included in the archive offer a powerful insight into Wilson’s impact, documenting how her support shaped careers and opened doors for emerging photographers. The archive and exhibition bring into focus the contributions of women too often absent from formal collections, and reframing Birmingham’s cultural history through their work.
Highlights include a number of posters from the Worth Paying For campaign: striking photographic panels which combine staged imagery with testimonies from women workers, exposing pay inequality in female-dominated industries during the 1980s.
“It is very fitting to have Rhonda’s archive in Balsall Heath where, in 1989, she set up the Poseurs Studio and Gallery with fellow photographer Ming de Nasty. The process of uncovering letters of thanks, rolls of her photographs and her personal notes is both exciting and profoundly moving.” Dr Annette Naudin
Housed at The Old Print Works, the Rhonda Wilson Community Archive is an evolving project that returns Wilson’s legacy to Balsall Heath, where she lived and worked.
“We are delighted to host the Rhonda Wilson Community Archive here at The Old Print Works and to have the opportunity to shine a light on this important part of the city’s cultural history. Rhonda’s influence and impact on photographers and creatives is evident and we look forward to developing the archive further.” Hannah Greenwood & Rebecca Tura, Interim Co-CEOs, The Old Print Works
For BCU, the project reflects a commitment to research that connects directly with communities and reshapes how stories are preserved and shared.
This exhibition is supported by Birmingham City University and The Old Print Works. It was re-presented at Balsall Heath Second Saturday in September 2026 as part of Birmingham Heritage Week and we have plans to develop the exhibition further in the future.
Image: Archive material, Rhonda Wilson community archive. Image courtesy The Old Print Works.