Exhibition - Shirley Baker: Children at Play

Shirley Baker (1932 – 2014) was one of Britain’s most compelling yet underexposed social documentary photographers. The theme of children at play was always fascinating to Shirley.

Her photos capture a time of significant upheaval and housing development in Salford and Manchester when many children were delighted by the playground of wasteland rubble and old cars to play in.

Shirley’s photographs have sometimes been described as a stark record of inner-city hardship. Her subject matter expresses her curiosity for play, maternal nurturing, women’s daily lives and human interaction which lifts her photographs above any limiting view of them as purely historical documents.

This exhibition, kindly loaned by Shirley's daughter Nan Levy, is a large selection of these images, which express the joy and creativity of children at play, and the sense of community that brought people together.

Please visit the website for more information.