5 places to see photography in Liverpool this summer

Open Eye Gallery’s Communications Assistant Amy Sanderson shares her top picks of photography to see in the city right now. From local stories to a touring exhibition, this summer’s highlights are connected through topics of community, shared histories and social engagement.

Open Eye Gallery – Is this a Garden? / The Perfect Flower

Dates: 26 June 2026 – 31 August 2026

Address: 19 Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1BP 

Opening hours: Tues – Sun, 10:00 – 17:00

More about this exhibition

Open Eye Gallery is currently showing two exhibitions: Is this a Garden? and The Perfect Flower, both a part of LOOK Photo Biennial 2026.

Is this a Garden? (Gallery 1 and 2) shows a collection of modern and archival images that explore the concept of a garden through everyday perspectives. Curated by Gary Bratchford and Stuart Whipps, the works ask how gardens shape the people around them, and equally, how social conditions, histories and environments shape the gardens themselves. 

A piece that stood out to me was John Goodwin’s collection of archival photography. Sourced from estate sales and online auctions, each picture contains glimpses of green within everyday life dating back to the 1920s. I found it interesting to trace how fashion and aesthetics have changed, but the concept of having your picture taken in front of the flowers has remained. The garden is not the subject, but the constant throughout decades of family photography.

Hydrangeas in this country are often seen thriving in suburban gardens and public parks, but did you know that these flowers originated from East Asia hundreds of years ago? Yan Wang Preston’s The Perfect Flower (Gallery 3) follows the development of hydrangeas in the UK, looking at the cultural, historical and colonial legacies of growing these flowers through photography, a projection, and a short film.

Look at still life images inspired by traditional Chinese flower paintings, listen to Fiona Davidson from the RHS detail the horticultural development of these plants, or sit down to watch Perpetual Bloom, a relaxing compilation showing hundreds of hydrangea varieties. 

Tate Liverpool / RIBA North – Roaming Britain: Gypsy and Traveller Homes

Dates: 18 June 2026 – 6 September 2026

Address: Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1BP

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10:00 – 17:50

More about this exhibition

Roaming Britain is an exhibition featuring photography, textile, video, painting and sculpture work created by Gypsy and Traveller artists. From Showmen and Boaters to Irish Travellers and Romanichals, each project challenges widespread misconceptions of their respective communities and showcases the creativity, ingenuity, and resilience involved in making and sustaining home.

Specific to photography, you can see Sheldon Chadwick’s backstage moments of Showmen’s lives, or Corrina Eastwood’s images of her family’s pitches paired with objects her father created when he was in prison. I liked learning about Romanichals through the archival photography, words and video work of Charmaine Abdul Karim. Her project explores a local community and their connection to Sound Common, an Atchin Tan (the Romanichal word for stopping place) near Nantwich, Cheshire. I thought it was a good example of working collaboratively to produce an informative and engaging project.

The exhibition has been designed to make viewers interact with the displays, linking to this idea of uncovering histories and discovering new perspectives. There are a number of rotating text panels which can be spun to find information about each community, and hinged wooden “folders” attached to the wall that can be opened to reveal more photographs.

Victoria Gallery & Museum – Toxteth: The Harlem of Europe

Dates and times: 11 October 2025 – 1 August 2026

Address: Ashton St, Liverpool L69 3DR

Opening hours:  Tues – Sat, 10:00 – 17:00

More about this exhibition

Toxteth: The Harlem of Europe spotlights the history of several Black musicians from the 1950s and 60s, telling the story of a generation whose talent and innovation shaped the sound of British music. The bulk of the exhibition is centred on local photographer Ean Flanders’ portraits of these artists (and their descendants) in venues around the city region. Also featured are archival images, text and a video piece that help contextualise this period of history.

Featuring musicians like Chris Amoo and Dave Smith from The Real Thing, the UK’s most successful Black group of all time; Garry Christian from The Christians; Ramon “Sugar” Deen from The Harlems; Joe Ankrah and Alan Harding from The Chants, backed at the time by The Beatles; female harmony group Distinction; and reggae artist Ramon Judah.

Take your time looking at the portraits, listening to the music, and learning about the musicians that have been overlooked in Liverpool’s musical history.

Museum of Liverpool – Reflections of Liverpool / Currents of Change

Dates: 25 April 2026 – 4 October 2026

Address: Pier Head, Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1DG

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10:00 – 17:00

More about this exhibition

Get a glimpse into 1950s working-class Liverpool through the eyes of Bob Howells. Displayed in the Museum’s Skylight Gallery, Reflections of Liverpool showcases everyday scenes of work, leisure and family that have typically been overlooked in museum collections.

Bob was a keen amateur photographer who passed away in 1999. On his death, he left his grandson, Steven, two of his cameras and a tin containing film and glass plate negatives. After many years, in 2024, the old negatives were developed and it became clear what gold Steven had inherited.

Some of my favourites include the views from Bob’s seat watching Everton play at Goodison Park, Bob (Jnr) with one of his model aeroplanes, and the group of Campbell and Isherwood workers posing for the camera at their new factory. The pictures have a lovely atmospheric grain and it is clear Bob had a talent for capturing his life on film.

Also on show until 31st August is Currents of Change, a community-led digital exhibition featuring the photography and words of twelve Liverpool residents. Displayed in the Museum’s atrium, the project explores each person’s lived experience of the city’s waterfront through themes of migration, labour, belonging, memory and environmental change. 

Walker Art Gallery – Gender Stories

Dates: 16 May 2026 – 31 August 2026

Address: William Brown St, Liverpool L3 8EL

Opening Hours: Mon – Sun, 10:00 – 17:00

More about this exhibition

Interested in topics like identity, sexuality and self-expression? Check out Gender Stories, a major exhibition investigating the multifaceted world of gender through an eclectic range of contemporary artists, historical pieces and community perspectives. 

Specific to photography, you can see individual images from the likes of Catherine Opie and Tom Wood alongside several other stunning photographic prints. One of my favourite pictures on display was from Shirlin Aliabadi’s Girls in Cars series, which shows young women in early 2000s Tehran partaking in cruising, a way to socialise with others away from the strict gender regulations in public spaces.

Prior to Liverpool, Gender Stories was displayed at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. While it shares a core collection across all venues, each museum adapted the exhibition to feature voices and artifacts specific to its local community. For example, you can see objects like a Liverpool FC pride scarf and a “Protect Scouse Dolls” t-shirt, or listen to audio recordings from people in the city discussing the topic of gender.