In a moment ...

I might deal with the dishes in the sink; in the mean time I'll photograph them. MrP's gone skiing. I making good use of the water glass he's left behind.

Before we got in to our exhibition planning meeting this morning (Agenda: Item 1 who is doing the biscuits?) Arthur showed me a book of street photographs by Shirley Baker (this is the best link I could find). They capture life in Manchester and Salford in the 1960s. Though at a time of near full employment in the area, the housing stock and streets still look as from the 1920s. Married women stayed home, and with the help of the retired generation, raised the families. The photographs are wonderful, candid shots of children playing outdoors, people outside their houses, together in the streets, a community. I can only think she won huge trust and blended in at the same time. Though just 50 years ago roughly, it's a world lost to us now. Arthur studied design at the same place Shirley lectured. He recalls students not understanding what on earth she was doing making this record, while they wanted to dive in to the glossy and new of that era. We both couldn't take our eyes off the images today. Children do play out on streets here, would I be able to gain trust to photograph them? I don't know. Shirley Baker must have had such a strong will, I'm possibly more in my photographic comfort zone by the sink.*

*I can't believe I've written that on International Women's Day! Sisters, forgive me.