Magnum photographer Chris Steele-Perkins is launching his new book on England, at the Kings Place Gallery on October 8th. England, My England (Northumbria Press) brings together images taken in the country by Steele-Perkins over the past 40 years.

Here’s the blurb- “In his new book, Chris presents a sweeping, unique record of what he thinks makes England truly English. From Sunday cricket matches to snoozes in a deckchair; intimate family portraits to carefree children at play; circus shows with performing bears to the wilder performers of a street carnival; and from Saturday night dancing to race riots. Each picture tells a story of time and place and many of the images collected will strike a chord or a memory in the viewer. These natural and authentic photographs are a personal selection of the best and most important of Chris’s images that he has taken over 40 years of photographing in England.”

Reggae Festival, London 1974 from England, My England © Chris Steele-Perkins/ Magnum Photos

Over the years England has proved a rich landscape for many of the photographers in the Magnum collective, and continues to inspire (both Martin Parr and Mark Power are currently working on new projects here), as a result I’ve decided to give a quick tour through some of these photographic studies.

I’ve already discussed the work of a few of the Magnum photographers on the blog including Chris Steele-Perkins (here), Martin Parr (here) and Ian Berry (here):

Whitby, 1974 from The English © Ian Berry/ Magnum Photos

Bristol, 1995-1999 from Think of England © Martin Parr/ Magnum Photos

Other notable projects include:

George Rodger, one of the Magnum founders, who produced a seminal series of photographs on the blitz during World War II. The Blitz is a unique record of life in England during the autumn of 1940 as well as a moving tribute to the courage and humor of men, woman and children during one of the darkest periods of 20th century English history.

Canteen in public shelter, London 1940 © George Rodger/ Magnum Photos

Eve Arnold photographed extensively in England, and many of the photographs appear in her book In Retrospect (Alfred A. Knopf, 1997) including this wonderful image of Queen Elizabeth II on tour in the Midlands in 1968.

Queens Elizabeth II, The Midlands, 1968 © Eve Arnold/ Magnum Photos

Although better known for his photographs in his homeland of Wales, Land of My Father (Thames & Hudson, 2000), David Hurn undertook several assignments in England, and documented the famous Isle of Wight festivals in 1969 and 1970.

Revelers at the Isle of Wight Festival, 1969 © David Hurn/ Magnum Photos

In the mid-1970s Philip Jones Griffiths worked extensively in Middlesbrough in Northern England. Philip recently completed a new book of his lesser known studies of British life – including those from Middlesbrough – shot during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Recollections (Trolley, 2008) was published just before his death in early 2008.

Working men’s club, Middlesbrough, 1976 © Philip Jones Griffiths/ Magnum Photos

On assignment in Liverpool in the early eighties, photojournalist Peter Marlow bore witness to the enormity of the devastation afflicting inner cities. Marlow photographed a city in decline, isolated like an island surrounded by the dreams of a Thatcherite nation. Liverpool Looking Out to Sea (Jonathan Cape, 1993) forms one of the fiercest social documents of an inner city in Britain, and became one of the strongest indictments of an era.

Unemployed Tony and Marie in their children’s bedroom, Liverpool, 1985 © Peter Marlow/ Magnum Photos

In 1996, the young Donovan Wylie and new Magnum recruit produced a series called Working England.

Worker in Leeds City centre cafe, 1996 © Donovan Wylie/ Magnum Photos

More recently, Mark Power published a book called 26 Different Endings (Photoworks, 2007), which documented the outer limits of London as defined by the A to Z road atlas.

London south of page 148, A to Z, 2004 © Mark Power/ Magnum Photos

And I’ll finish with the work of Stuart Franklin and this photograph taken during the Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee celebration in 2002. Why? Because as a young snapper on assignment for The Sunday Times Magazine, I was stood next to him when he took it!

Spectators at Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee celebration, London 2002 © Stuart Franklin/ Magnum PHotos

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 11:17 pm and is filed under OTHER STUDIES. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.