It was the early 1960s when documentarian and Sunday Times photographer John Bulmer set out to chronicle life in the then grey and bleak Black Country. Inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson's ethic of understanding life through photography, John captured Dudley and the lifeblood of the region with all its unflinching beauty.

Tom Hicks is a contemporary photographer who places words at the centre of his work. His current project, Black Country Type, is a photographic exploration of the post-industrial landscape of the region.