Maisie Rowe has been trawling through the back issues

AN art exhibition inspired by the history of the Camden New Journal starts today (Friday) at the Holborn Library.

The exhibition, put together by artist, designer and life-long New Journal reader Maisie Rowe, shows examples of our campaigning front pages, tells the stories of the London local press, and includes a selection of headlines, stories and photographs from our past.

Upstairs, in the Holborn Local Studies archives, the exhibition continues with a selection of New Journal-related objects and more on our story.

Ms Rowe said: “I have read the New Journal all my life, as everyone who considers themselves from Camden has. It’s been fascinating trawling through the archives and seeing the sheer scale of topics reporters have covered.

“The paper has always had a strong sense of justice, of finding the minutiae of life. You can see from the contributors, the letters, the topics the reporters covered that the paper has always been a place where everyone can have their voice heard.

“But what has also struck me is how the back issues are genuinely a window into our past – Camden’s history, recent, modern and older all comes alive.

“The people of Camden live again through these pages and it’s been a case of how do we manage the thousands of amazing stories that are worth remembering in just one show?”

Among the items are memories from former colleagues, the story of how we became the New Journal, and historic examples of how our paper looked through the decades.

The show is part of the Bloomsbury Festival.

 Open to all, Coerced by None – the story of a local newspaper is in the Local Studies Centre at Holborn Library, 32-38 Theobalds Road, WC1X 8PA. Runs from October 19-24. Sat 11am-5pm, Mon/Tues 10am-6pm, Thurs 10am-7pm. Elements of the exhibition will be in the foyer during regular library hours.