How Liverpool lived in the early 80s: candid photos of controversial photojournalist Martin Parr

In the early 80s of the last century, Liverpool hit the bottom: these were the most difficult times for the city since the end of the Second World War.

In the 70s, all of Britain was faced with economic difficulties and a decrease in the number of jobs, but the situation in Liverpool by the beginning of the 80s became worse than ever. Then, due to the closure of large industrial enterprises, the city registered the highest unemployment rate in the country. Every year, 12,000 people left the once-thriving port city, leaving about 15% of the buildings in Liverpool empty or abandoned.

In those difficult times, the city attracted many venerable photographers with its depressing pictures of the decline, but the famous photojournalist Martin Parr shot it especially a lot, because at that time he lived in the same part of England.

It was in the early 80s that Martin Parr's signature style was formed, the very one that an unprepared viewer, spoiled by a beautiful picture, can cause a break in the template and vomiting. Parr with a huge share of banter demonstrates all aspects of reality, with pleasure he catches the most unsympathetic, but quite familiar and normal scenes. At the same time, there is no anger, arrogance or contempt in Martin's works. This is rather the position of a person who has come to terms with what surrounds us, but the position is honest.