Photo: one of the photographs from the Battersea Women's Pub outing series that first appeared in Picture Post in the 1950's. © the artist.
Grace Robertson's work as a photojournalist has an empathy and humour that successfully captures the character of her subjects and the spirit of the age when they were taken.
In a touring exhibition, currently residing at the Millais Gallery in Southampton until October 18, visitors can experience this warmth for themselves with a selection of 102 of her black and white photographs covering some of her most famous works.
Among the images are her highly regarded pictures of a Battersea women's pub outing, which she photographed first for Picture Post and then for Life Magazine. It's a wonderful opportunity to follow the ladies as they dance the conga, sup beers and take a ride on a big dipper.
Photo: wonderful images such as this secured Robertson's reputation as one of the pioneers of photojournalism. Picture © the artist.
There is also the chance to see other classics such as the timeless pictures of a Welsh hill farmer, taken in 1951.
A pioneering British photojournalists of the fifties, Robertson was one of the few women to hold down a career in photojournalism at that time, and even then she found it necessary to work under the pseudonym Dick Muir.
In 1950, she was hired at the Picture Post (under her own name) where she spent the majority of her career photographing post war Britain.
Photo: after a few stouts and a ride on the big dipper it's time for a spot of 'Knees up Mother Brown.' Picture © the artist.
She was awarded the OBE in 1998 for her services to photography and she still lectures at degree level today.
The exhibition also features some of her contemporary work including the powerful series of portraits of younger women who have grown up with very different expectations from those faced by most women in the 1950's.
The pictures in this exhibition form a personal, and largely optimistic account of 50 years in documentary photojournalism by one of the true pioneers of photography.
A book entitled Grace Robertson: A Sympathetic Eye accompanies the exhibition and is available at the gallery.
