Bringing the Archives to life at Peckham Library

At Peckham Library, history came alive in the most colorful way! Children from St James the Great School and residents from Greenhive Care Home joined forces to explore archival images from the library’s collection — but with a twist.

Thanks to the Social-Ability team, the black-and-white images were digitally colorised and projected onto a screen. Visitors could interact with the projection as if they were coloring in the images themselves. The images appeared black and white at first, but as participants moved, vibrant colors emerged, revealing the archive in a whole new way.

Elaine, Library Development Manager (Children, Families and Young People) for Southwark Libraries, spoke wonderfully about the event, highlighting how it connected generations and brought joy to everyone involved.

You can watch the video to see the magic for yourself below, laughter, curiosity, and creativity all in one unforgettable activity.