I’ve been awarded The Humphrey Spender John Marriot Scholarship for Social Documentary Photography! I’m very excited and I feel honoured to have the opportunity to research and reinterpret the work of Humphrey Spender. I’m a bit scared though – not only do I have to follow in the footsteps of the great man himself but I must also build on the great work of the two previous recipients of the scholarship. Take a look at their excellent work here:
On October 3rd I attended a free seminar at Bolton Museum. The event was excellent – an afternoon of free talks about Mass Observation, the Worktown Project and Humphrey Spender’s pioneering documentary photography. Speakers included Caroline Edge, University of Bolton; Russell Roberts, University of Wales; Ian Trumble, Bolton Museum; and Dr Robert Snape, University of Bolton. The seminar was very interesting and provided an excellent starting point for my research. Caroline’s introduction to Mass Observation was informative and insightful. I was particularly interested in the work that Caroline and Ian have been doing in order to ‘locate’ the photographs taken by Spender in the Worktown series.
Bicycles outside the West Ward Labour Club, 1970
I was particularly interested in the history of this image. It is one of my favourite Spender images. Prior to attending the seminar I had been led to believe, along with everyone else, that this image was taken at the back of Burnden Park, home of Bolton Wanderers. I thought that it showed the popularity and unifying nature of sport. For this reason I had intended it to be a starting point for my work. However (!), at the seminar Ian Russell revealed that the location of this photograph was wrongly identified by former observer Harry Gordon. This image was actual taken on Back Ruth St, which leads on to John Brown St. The doorway and sign for the Labour Club are just about visible at the end of the street. This is all part of the discovery and research process I guess, and it’s still a great photograph! For further information on this image click here Bicycles outside the West Ward Labour Club
The seminar was also useful for me in sparking some ideas. I found Dr Robert Snape’s presentation particularly useful. Dr Snape highlighted the importance of the textual material and information that was gathered as part of Mass Observation. Dr Snape commented on the benefits and synergy created when image and text are combined. I spoke about this in my initial presentation for the scholarship. Dr Snape has given me further ideas, and I will be definitely be using a combination of image and text in my work.
The seminar was part of Worktown’s 75th anniversary. There is also an exhibition at Bolton Museum showcasing the work of Humphrey Spender and Mass Observation. For details of the exhibition and other Worktown related material, including Spender’s images check out the new Worktown website.
The Humphrey Spender John Marriott Scholarship for Social Documentary Photography 