A new exhibition coming to London, England, will delve into the history of children as photographers and how photography transformed from a pastime reserved for the elite to a DIY hobby for all youngsters.
Curated by Annebella Pollen, a professor of visual and material culture at the University of Brighton, Snap Happy! How Children Became Photographers will explore how youngsters saw the world through a viewfinder and built communities with cameras in hand.
The exhibition will feature previously unseen images taken by children across a range of settings, from family life to playing in the great outdoors, to archive materials such as influential photography magazines that helped photography become more than just a niche pursuit.
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Different types of cameras are explored, too, including homemade devices such as the “Wellieflex” – a pinhole camera which, believe it or not, employed a Wellington boot for the body.
The Wellieflex, along with a handful of other homemade camera models made using everyday items, was the invention of activist and photographer Terry Dennett.
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According to Dennett, who published about his DIY cameras and children’s photography workshops in a 1976 edition of the magazine Camerawork, the devices, essentially a light-tight container, a lens and a film holder, “worked”.
(Image credit: Ken Hanrahan-Smith.)
Competitive photography increased uptake of the craft, too, which is also detailed in the exhibition. Between 1958 and 1972, the Junior Photographer of the Year was a major national competition organized by the Photographic Information Council (PIC), helping to establish over 1,000 school darkrooms.
Snap Happy! How Children Became Photographers runs from October 14 2026 to February 21 2027, at The Photographers’ Gallery, London. On-the-door admission costs £14 (approximately $18 / AU$26), and online bookings are cheaper at £12 ($16 / AU$22).
Visit the gallery website for opening times and concession prices.
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