As part of the Shirley Baker exhibition programme, a group of mums from the Rosary School in Stroud have been taking photographs. Some of their images can be seen on display next to the art gallery, or in a beautiful new book published by Yew Tree Press.
One of the things which sets Shirley Baker’s photographs, made during a period of great changes, apart is the tender, playful, way she allows us to see the daily life of women and children and the degree to which they are relaxed in their experience of their streets and communities. She also captured the strong sense of community which supported families before the ‘slum’ clearances.
Whilst we might say, in 2025, that it’s a pity our children no longer feel truly safe playing in the street or that traffic has changed the environments we live in, the experience of motherhood and childhood is still there to be seen and enjoyed.
During the course of a day, from dropping children off at Rosary Primary School in Stroud to picking them up again after the school day ended, a group of mums made photographs. They mirror Shirley Baker’s observations of childhood and, perhaps, at some date in the future, they will tell a tale of how things looked and felt in Stroud way back in 2025.
Many thanks go to all the mums who took part in this project, and to the Rosary School. Copies of the book can be purchased from Museum reception (RRP £5).
