In pictures: English life in the 1960s, photographed by Tony Ray-Jones
Emma Slattery Williams explores the work of Tony Ray-Jones: a pioneer of British post-war photography whose images distilled the lighthearted, social side of English life in the late 1960s
Between 1966 and 1969, photographer Tony Ray-Jones – then in his mid-twenties – travelled across England in a campervan, capturing on camera what he described as the essence of “the English way of life… before it becomes more Americanised”.
His fascination with ‘Englishness’ – from manners and traditions, to eccentricities and comedy – saw Ray-Jones travel the length and breadth of the country, capturing amusing and often poignant images of people at work and at play, enjoying their leisure time in a uniquely English way, or focussed on their daily struggle to survive.
The resulting images encompass a wealth of English scenes – from disorganised family days at the beach, to the airs and graces of Glyndebourne: snapshots of history that are forever English. Here are some of BBC History Revealed's favourites, taken from a new Bristol exhibition on Tony Ray-Jones.
EXHIBITION: The English Seen by Tony Ray-Jones will run at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol until 21 December 2019. Admission is free.
READ: An accompanying book has been published by RRB Photobooks/Martin Parr Foundation, titled Tony Ray-Jones
This article was first published in the Christmas 2019 edition of BBC History Revealed
Get exclusive access to Ruth Goodman’s six-week Academy course on Victorian Life, featuring two live Q&As + a book of your choice when you subscribe to BBC History Magazine
