On this day in 1913 a man was born in Wales who was to become one of the greatest chroniclers of urban life in Newcastle, in particular, the Scotswood area of the city.
Jimmy Forsyth was originally from Barry in Wales but came to Newcastle in 1943 aged 30.
He had lost an eye in an industrial accident and took up photography, buying a camera at a pawn shop in 1954.
It was the time of Teddy Boys, corner shops, rag and bone men and grimy kids on street corners.
It was also a time of great change around his Cruddas Park home, and Jimmy doggedly pictured demolitions of landmarks such as the Scotswood and Redheugh bridges, and the new developments which were springing up.
In 1960, he photographed John Dobson’s Royal Arcade which was soon to be flattened to make way for Swan House and its roundabout.
For many years his work went largely unrecognised until the the 1970s, when it came to the attention of West End librarian Des Walton.
“Jimmy came in out of the blue with his albums,” said Mr Walton. “I was staggered to see what he had done.”
Those albums contained his photographs dating back over two decades.
Following his meeting with Des an exhibition of his pictures was held in 1979 and another at the Side Gallery in Newcastle.
These were followed by a book of his photographs published in 1986 by Bloodaxe, called Scotswood Road, which became a local best seller.
In 2002 a second book, Out Of One Eye, was released by Tyne Bridge Publishing.
The gradual realisation of the importance of Jimmy’s vast archive saw him win the Halina Award for Photography in 1987.
Film director Mike Figgis cast Jimmy as a newspaper seller in his 1988 Newcastle-set film Stormy Monday.
Although Jimmy passed away 10 years ago, his memory and that of the Newcastle’s West End, will live on forever.
