JennyOwen

By JennyOwen

Archive mysteries

I've stayed in today, trying to see off this stubborn head cold. So this was a chance to catch up on writing some late Christmas cards, and doing a few other bits of Christmas prep.
Not having been out anywhere to take a photo, I had a delve into a box of old negatives.
I know this one comes from when I worked in Rotherham, in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  I did my PGCE teaching practice there, in the Further Education college; later, I worked there for the Home Office-funded 'Community Relations Council' (later renamed the Council for Racial Equality').   My work included trying to persuade local employers to adopt equal opportunities policies, as well as doing advice and advocacy work with local communities of Pakistani and Kashmiri heritage (we would not have used that term then). Amusingly - or not - this organisation had its base in 'Imperial Buildings' in Rotherham town centre.
Anyway, I think this grainy image comes from the FE college. Over that whole period, I was taking quite a lot of black and white photos, and learning about using a darkroom.  But whether it's from a teaching practice episode, or a later project... I have not kept good enough records to be sure.  What it does capture is two different conventions about having one's photo taken.

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