Through Alice’s Eyes

30th April - 2nd May, 10am - 4pm daily.

Few photographers have succeeded in capturing the life of a community with the intimacy, sincerity, and candour of Alice Longstaff. In a career spanning seven decades, from 1921 until 1992, Longstaff documented the lives of the people of Hebden Bridge and the surrounding valley. While much of her income came from portrait photography in her West End studio, she was also an early adopter of the portable Roliflex camera, allowing her to travel the valley capturing candid pictures of everyday life and special events. Through Alice’s Eyes invites you to delve into Alice’s world, exploring some of her most unique pictures, which combine fascinating social history with incredible artistic and technical skill.

Through Alice’s Eyes is not just a static exhibition – we need your help! Many of Longstaff’s photographs came to Pennine Heritage without any information about the people or places they feature. We know that this knowledge is out there, preserved in the memories of local people who remember Alice and her subjects, so we’re asking for your help in putting names to faces and places. Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to share their knowledge and memories about the pictures on display, to help our archive grow and improve!