WATCH: From '90s clubland back to the '50s, Wolverhampton is captured on film
Historic British Pathé footage of Wolverhampton in years gone by has been uncovered.
Hometown, filmed in Wolverhampton in 1959, describes the then town as 'busy, sharing in the prosperity of the Midlands, this old market town is now a flourishing industrial centre'.
The crisp monochrome footage shows St Peter's Square and the Art Gallery, as well as the Prince Consort Statue, which was opened by Queen Victoria herself, now known to many as the man on the horse'.
"It has a long history but it prides itself on its modern buildings, the voice-over reveals. "Wulfrun Hall for example is part of the Civic Hall, opened in 1938.
"It was named after Lady Wulfruna. And for all its industry, the town itself still remains a market centre for the many neighbouring farmland districts."
The film also shows what it calls the 'Civic Arts centre', now the Art Gallery, which it says was a 'gift' from Philip Horseman to whom the fountain in St Peter's square is a memorial. It ends by saying 'old but thriving, this is Wolverhampton today'.
A video entitled 'Wolverhampton 76 – all change' shows a contrasting picture to the ornate buildings and market town of the 1950s.The Mander Centre is revealed to be without a roof as construction continues on the site.
Wide shots of the escalators, travelators and stairwells are shown as well views of the Mander centre car park.
The pre-refurbishment Molineux stadium is visible in a panoramic shot followed by views of the high rises along the Wednesfield Road.
The video describes the 1970s as 'an age of great optimism, out with the old and in with the sleek, minimalist new'.
It shows a Wolverhampton of shiny, polished chrome and reinforced concrete with a bit of modern artwork thrown in courtesy of the 'Rock Form' – the striking modernist, Barbara Hepworth sculpture in the Wulfrun Centre.
Finally, a film entitled '1996 Clubbing in Wolverhampton, News Report 1990s Nighclub' shows thousands of revellers flocking to the city to visit one of the many clubs that were in operation during the 1990s.