Have you ever heard of the “Wellieflex” – a pinhole digicam made out of a rain boot? This exhibition delves into historical past of kids as photographers, some utilizing home made cameras

A brand new exhibition coming to London, England, will delve into the historical past of kids as photographers and the way pictures remodeled from a pastime reserved for the elite to a DIY interest for all kids.

Curated by Annebella Pollen, a professor of visible and materials tradition on the University of Brighton, Snap Happy! How Children Became Photographers will discover how kids noticed the world by a viewfinder and constructed communities with cameras in hand.

The exhibition will function beforehand unseen photos taken by kids throughout a spread of settings, from household life to enjoying within the nice outside, to archive supplies similar to influential pictures magazines that helped pictures develop into greater than only a area of interest pursuit.

Different varieties of cameras are explored, too, together with home made gadgets such because the “Wellieflex” – a pinhole digicam which, consider it or not, employed a Wellington boot for the physique.

The Wellieflex, together with a handful of different home made digicam fashions made utilizing on a regular basis gadgets, was the invention of activist and photographer Terry Dennett.

According to Dennett, who revealed about his DIY cameras and youngsters’s pictures workshops in a 1976 edition of the magazine Camerawork, the gadgets, basically a light-tight container, a lens and a movie holder, “worked”.

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 prices £14 (roughly $18 / AU$26), and on-line bookings are cheaper at £12 ($16 / AU$22).

Visit the gallery website for opening instances and concession costs.

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