Wembley Park is delighted to announce Getty Images Gallery’s first exhibition in its new gallery space on Olympic Way.

‘The Ages of Wembley’ opens on Friday, June 28, as the first of a year-long programme of exhibitions presented by the curatorial team at Getty Images Gallery in a new space situated in Olympic Way, one of London’s iconic public spaces. Sourced from the world-renowned Getty Images’ archival and contemporary libraries, many of the photographs have never been seen before and are only now being discovered and shown as part of this exhibition.

The exhibition charts the emergence of Wembley Park as a world-famous leisure and entertainment destination from the 1920s onwards, highlighting parallels and references between historic uses of the area and recent developments. Building on this international reputation, Wembley Park has in recent years been transformed and is now a landmark destination and place to live, with culture, entertainment and a community at its heart.

Wembley Park was developed in the 1890s as a large and popular recreational space including sports grounds, teahouses and variety theatre. Images include photographs of the construction of the famous Wembley Stadium’s iconic twin towers, completed just in time to hold the 1923 FA Cup Final, which attracted the largest football crowd ever recorded at the time.

There are several images featuring the ‘Empire Exhibition’ from 1925, attended by Queen Mary and King George V, and described by the British press in the day as the largest and most important exhibition since 1851. Photographs depict the complex building work of the ‘Empire Exhibition’ Pavilions as captured by A H Robinson. Robinson was a gifted amateur photographer who mastered the unusual art of panoramic photography with flair and artistry using his clockwork Kodak Panorama camera. Recognised as pioneering in the field, prints of his work are valued highly by collectors.

Moving into the 1930s, the images depict the passion of fans supporting their teams as they celebrate the excitement of making it to the home of British football; from the West Bromwich Albion FC fan waving his rattle and cheering as he makes his way to Wembley Stadium to the crowds of football fans pouring into the Stadium grounds for the Cup Final.

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The exhibition also displays images of the changing face of Wembley Park in the 1940s with the first launch of Olympic Way, leading from Wembley Park Station to Wembley Stadium that was built in preparation for the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. It provides an interesting historical context on the area, which has been transformed in recent years into an exciting cultural neighbourhood, with 5,750 new homes being created in addition to the 1,750 already built.

Getty Images Gallery, Wembley Park, is part of the area’s ambitious cultural programme, which builds on the area’s global reputation for sport, music and live entertainment. The ambitious cultural strategy for the area includes affordable artist studios, run by Second Floor Studios & Arts, a public art programme and extensive cultural programming and events, most of which are available free of charge. Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, a new flexible 1,000-2,000 seat capacity theatre that is being created inside the former Fountain Studios, will welcome the National Theatre’s War Horse later this year. Wembley Park is fast establishing its credentials as a new creative hub for North West London, and is a key strategic partner of Brent Borough of Culture 2020.

Getty Images Gallery, Olympic Way, Wembley Park, HA9 0FJ, from Friday, June 28. Details: wembleypark.com/getty-gallery