In a career that spanned over fifty years – Shirley Baker, mastered the art of social documentary photography at a time when Baker was thought to be the only female street photographer in Britain. From post-war scenes, to everyday lives of communities in the North of England were captured – each image documented the struggles of poverty; culture; life and rapid expansion offering a humane outlook on life for individuals and families –telling the story of many people living the same life?

Having first encountered her work during her retrospective at The Photographers’; Gallery in 2015; and then further uncovering her stunning punk portraits from1980s which formed part of the 40 Years of Punk exhibition I curated in 2016 – “these images showcase a master of street photography […] an image maker with an analytical eye, someone who caught moments of great coincidence or aesthetic harmony, but who saw through the purely visual into something more human—the great madness and oddness of this life.” – Lou Stoppard (Editor)ephemera in such a way as to illustrate the complexities surrounding the concept and what is at stake.