Hely family visits Ray Hely: An Engineer's Eye exhibition

The widow of former Liverpool City Council engineer Ray Hely has praised Liverpool Regional Museum’s exhibition of her late husband’s photography as a “brilliant job” that brings his images to life.

Gwen Hely visited the exhibition Ray Hely: An Engineer's Eye, Liverpool 1971-1993 at Liverpool Regional Museum with the couple’s son Russell, daughter Leonie and extended family members this week.

Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller said she was delighted the Hely family had a chance to visit the exhibition and that Mrs Hely had approved of the way her husband’s work had been displayed.

“It was a challenge to do justice to what is an extensive collection of photographs covering so much of Liverpool’s development, community celebrations and the everyday lives of its people, but our Museum staff have done a great job,” Mayor Waller said.

“I’m delighted Mrs Hely was pleased and would urge anybody who has yet to drop in to make the time to visit – you'll be very glad you did.”

Mrs Hely praised the exhibition for the way it had been curated and presented.

“Liverpool Regional Museum has done a brilliant job in bringing Ray’s photos to life and acknowledging his skills as a photographer with an eye for recording events and history of places and buildings that have long gone,” Mrs Hely said.

Liverpool City Council first commissioned Ray Hely, a Senior Civil Engineer, to photograph its 1971 celebrations, which included the Festival of Progress.

But this informal first commission soon grew into an extensive archive of thousands of photographs and kilometres of film, capturing the evolution of Liverpool and its community from 1971 to 1993.

“The exhibition offers an opportunity to look back and consider Liverpool’s progress and reflect with 2020 vision through the rear lens of An Engineer's Eye,” Mayor Waller said.

Ray Hely: An Engineer’s Eye 1971-1993 is free to visit and runs until 23 December 2020 at Liverpool Regional Museum, located at 462 Hume Highway, Liverpool.

Visit mylibrary.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/My-Library/liverpool-regional-museum for more information.