Islington Local History Centre, based in Finsbury Library EC1, will play host to a travelling photographic exhibition entitled Memories from Emilia-Romagna and Sicily, from Tuesday 17 October to Friday 17 November 2006.
People from Emilia-Romagna came over to London in the early 1950s following relatives that had settled here during the inter-war years. They opened up the first classic cafes and snack bars in London and introduced Italian food to the British public. The first Sicilian settlers came over in the early 1950s to fill the employment gap in the greenhouses of Hertfordshire and Essex.
The exhibition makes use of personal accounts and photographs to explore the struggles and successes of these two communities in the last 50 years. It starts with a look at the way of life in post-war Italy, explores how and why they left their native country, and looks at the journey itself, settling in the UK, and the personal meanings of Italian work and traditions.
Find out more about the exhibition by visiting www.enaip.org.uk/oralhistory.php
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Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008