Devon Rural Archive showcases Plymouth photographer's evocative images
An exhibition of photographs capturing the soul of the West Country over the past sixty years will be on display at the Devon Rural Archive at Shilstone near Modbury from Tuesday 14th May to Thursday 4th July, 2013.
Taken by Plymouth photographer Roy J. Westlake APRS, the special exhibition is on loan from Plymouth’s South West Image Bank (SWiB). The stunning images have been carefully selected by photographer and SWiB volunteer Simon Gomery from around 30,000 in the Roy Westlake Archive and explore and illustrate the heritage, culture, industry, environment and landscape of the South West. They include photographs documenting the building of the Civic Centre in Plymouth and the visit of HRH Queen Elizabeth II to Plymouth in 1962, as well as everyday life in the South West.
Roy Westlake started taking pictures before the Second World War with a camera that he bought from Woolworths, before graduating onto a Box Brownie. He then became a member of Plymouth Camera Club and started selling his pictures commercially before joining the Royal Photographic Society, of which he is still a member today.
“Roy’s photographs are one of the most notable collections in the SWiB archive and are very evocative of life in the West Country at that period of time,” explained Abi Gray, Consultant Archaeologist at the DRA. “The images are powerful and almost invite the viewer to step into the photograph and become part of the landscape and experience for themselves the moment at which the image was captured. They have become important social documents that record the history of the South West.”
The exhibition is free of charge and will be open at the DRA every Tuesday and Thursday between 11am and 3pm.
Based in Plymouth, the South West Image Bank is a community based, charity funded photographic archive holding the largest collection of photographic records in the region. It is currently custodian to over 160 archives dating back to the 1870s.
Run by one full-time Archivist and supported by volunteers it works to acquire and preserve photographic images of people and places in the region’s past. It offers a fully accessible onsite gallery, shop and research suite for use by school groups, families, tourists, local history societies and students.
For further information on the exhibition or the DRA please contact Abi Gray on 01548 830832 or visit www.devonruralarchive.com.
About the DRA
The Devon Rural Archive is a unique resource dedicated to the history, development and significance of the buildings and landscapes of Devon (and a wide range of other archaeological, historical and architectural topics). Created in 2006 for historians, archaeologists, genealogists and the general public, it is run as part of a charitable trust and aims to rediscover and encourage the preservation of the remains of Devon buildings and landscapes, to establish their history, and to help owners and the public increase their knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of historic properties.
The DRA is currently researching Devon Manor Houses and farmhouses from AD1300 to the present day and has visited and prepared reports on around 150 such properties.
The DRA is based at Shilstone near Modbury and its library is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11.00am to 3pm. Office opening hours for information and enquiries are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. For further information, please see the website: www.devonruralarchive.com.
