Make Life Worth Living: Nick Hedges' Photographs for Shelter, 1968-72

A hard-hitting collection of photographs taken by Nick Hedges for Shelter between 1968 and 1972 are to be shown together for the first time in a new exhibition at the Science Museum. Commissioned by housing charity Shelter to photograph people living in poor housing conditions, documentary photographer Nick Hedges spent three years travelling areas of deprivation around the UK to create this significant body of work reflecting the often distressing reality of the critical social issue of housing. Hedges donated 1,000 prints from his Shelter work to the National Media Museum in 1983. However, until now their use has been restricted to protect the privacy of his subjects. Co-curated by Dutch independent curator Hedy van Erp and the National Media Museum’s Curator of Photographs Greg Hobson, this moving and inspiring set of black and white photographs of real-life situations exemplifies Hedges’ unique position in the practice of documentary photography at the time, which was largely focused on recording conflict and international events. Hedges’ mission to harness the immediate power of photography to change the way we think about social issues led him to create this stirring collection, and his empathy for his subjects is evidenced through his detailed contemporary notes, extracts of which will appear in the exhibition. Virgin Media Studio, Media Space, Science Museum, London.

Suitable for
Family friendly


Website
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/make_life_worth_living

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk//se000507?id=EVENT501089