No Man's Land exhibition at Impressions Gallery, Bradford, 2017 © Impressions Gallery
Irene 'Winkie' Gartside-Speight c.1916 by Mairi Chisholm © National Library of Scotland
How have women photographed the First World War? No Man’s Land offers rarely-seen female perspectives, featuring images taken by women who worked as nurses, ambulance drivers, and official photographers, as well as contemporary artists directly inspired by the conflict.
The Centenary of the First World War (1914-1918) was a chance for the nation to commemorate and reflect on the devastating conflict that changed people's lives forever.
I was Head of Programme at Impressions Gallery in Bradford, a charity that that helps people to understand the world through photography and acts as an agent for change. We wanted to mark the Centenary in a meaningful but original way, and expand traditional narratives of the conflict.
Our response was 'No Man's Land: Women's Photography and the First World War': a national touring exhibition commissioned by Impressions Gallery in partnership with Bristol Cathedral, The Turnpike, and Bishop Auckland Town Hall (Durham Museums and Galleries), supported by Arts Council England, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art., and Peter Palmquist Memorial Fund.
Commandant Johnson and two other women of the General Service Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Motor Convoy outside Nissen Huts, Abbeville, France, 1919 © IWM (Q 8036)
Visitors view 'Reading Between the Lines' (2009—) by Dawn Cole © Impressions Gallery
An unknown soldier lying on the battlefield, 1916. Florence Farmborough © IWM (Q98431)
Curating the exhibition was exciting and challenging. I chose three women who photographed the conflict: Mairi Chisholm, who made snapshots from her volunteer post in Flanders; Florence Farmborough, a nurse on the Russian Front; and Olive Edis, a society photographer commissioned to officially record the activities of the women's auxiliary services on the Western Front. Many of their images had never been exhibited before.
Photographs by these women were complemented by three contemporary artists: Alison Baskerville, a former soldier who photographed present-day women serving in the armed forces; Dawn Cole who made enigmatic prints inspired by the experiences of her great-aunt; and Chloe Dewe Mathews, who photographed the sites where British, French and Belgian soldiers were executed by firing squad by their own sides.
'Shot at Dawn' (2013-2014) by Chloe Dewe Mathews at The Turnpike, Leigh © The Turnpike
No Man's Land exhibited at Bristol Cathedral, 2018 © Bristol Cathedral
Curator Pippa Oldfield views 'Soldier' (2011-2016) by Alison Baskerville © Impressions Gallery
The exhibition, which was seen by over 100,000 people, revealed startling and heartbreaking insights into experiences of conflict, and helped create a richer and more inclusive understanding of the First World War.
In recognition of its contribution, No Man's Land was featured in 'The Centenary of the First World War: How The Nation Remembered', the official commemorative publication by the British Government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In addition, I was honoured with an invitation to the Armistice Centenary Service at Westminster Abbey in 2019, attended by H.M. Queen Elizabeth, members of the Royal Family and Prime Minister Theresa May.
Praise for No Man's Land:
"Extensively researched... highlighting a perspective frequently missing from Word War I centenary commemorations" – Hyperallergic
"An incredibly moving and relevant exhibition." – exhibition visitor
"A remarkable—and rarely seen—series of images" – The Daily Mail
"Fabulous exhibition – thoughtful and sensitive, championing and lighting up the women’s’ perspective – about time!" – exhibition visitor
"Never-before-seen images taken by women on the frontline...Rarely-seen female perspectives on the First World War" – The Guardian
"Really moving, sad, thrilling, unexpected and cheering by turns – not a combination I’ve felt looking at war photography. Thank you for a new perspective." – exhibition visitor
Visitors view images by Mairi Chisholm, 1914-1917 © Impressions Gallery
'Shot at Dawn' (2013-2014) by Chloe Dewe Mathews at Bristol Cathedral © Bristol Cathedral
Visitor views 'Shot at Dawn' by Chloe Dewe Mathews © Impressions Gallery
Meet the artists and curator:
Featuring interviews with artists Alison Baskerville, Dawn Cole and Chloe Dewe Mathews, and curator Dr Pippa Oldfield.
14 minutes
Directed and Produced by Twenty Twenty Films for Impressions Gallery, 2017
Directed and Produced by Twenty Twenty Films for Impressions Gallery, 2017
As featured in:
History Extra: The official website for BBC History magazine
Hyperallergic, New York
Paul Mellon Centre, Yale University
Daily Mail
Partners and funders:
No Man’s Land is a national touring exhibition curated by Dr. Pippa Oldfield and co-produced by Impressions Gallery, Bristol Cathedral, The Turnpike, and Bishop Auckland Town Hall. The exhibition is supported by Arts Council England Strategic Touring, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, and Peter E. Palmquist Memorial Fund for Historical Photographic Research. Historical images are kindly provided by Imperial War Museums; National Library of Scotland; Special Collections, University of Leeds; and Cromer Museum (Norfolk Museums Service). No Man’s Land is a member of the First World War Centenary Partnership led by IWM (Imperial War Museums). Soldier by Alison Baskerville is commissioned by Impressions Gallery. Shot at Dawn by Chloe Dewe Mathews is commissioned by the Ruskin School of Art at the University of Oxford as part of 14–18 NOW, WW1 Centenary Art Commissions.