Reviving Perspectives: The Inspiring Journey of Hebden Bridge Photographer Alice Longstaff

She was an individual from the working class who captured breathtaking images for 70 years, yet she remains largely unknown, some might contend, due in part to her social status as a working-class woman.

Alice Longstaff, who passed away in 1992, was recognized in her hometown of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, but not beyond that. Her supporters anticipate that a new compilation of her photographs will alter this.

“Those who were acquainted with her describe her as a true force of nature,” remarked Andrew McTominey, the heritage manager of the Hebden Bridge-based organization Pennine Heritage, which possesses Longstaff’s archive. “She was an exceptional photographer. She merits recognition from the broader community.”

Longstaff was born on a farm in 1907 in the village of Heptonstall. Her report indicates that she was an excellent student but left school at age 14, seemingly resolute in her desire to become a photographer.

Typically, women of her background and era would have sought employment in the mills or domestic work, yet Longstaff succeeded in securing an apprenticeship at Westerman’s photography studio in Hebden Bridge.

By 1935, she was managing West End Studios and became the sought-after photographer for countless Hebden Bridge families celebrating weddings or requiring passport photographs.

During the late 1930s, she acquired an innovative Rolleiflex camera, similar to that utilized by American photographer Lee Miller, who was recently depicted by Kate Winslet in the film Lee. This camera enabled Longstaff to capture images “on the move”, which she later referred to as “paradise”.

Upon her passing, Pennine Heritage received her vast collection of negatives, which numbered in the tens of thousands, predominantly consisting of her studio work.

Scholars were also excited to discover an abundance of “end-of-the roll” photographs that documented the individuals and daily life in Hebden Bridge, alongside the unique charm of the town and the picturesque Calder Valley landscape.

These negatives have been restored and are being presented for the first time.

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Many subjects in the photographs remain unidentified, although the charity is hopeful that local residents will provide names as well as insights and narratives.

McTominey expressed that the photographs showcase Longstaff’s exceptional talent as a photographer. He emphasized that she was a trailblazer and someone who deserved recognition alongside her more renowned contemporaries.

“She was a true personality. Numerous visitors come here and remark, ‘oh I was photographed by her’.”