On this day in 1940, the photographer Ursula Clark was born in the Newcastle upon Tyne suburb of Gosforth.
Her archive of 20,000 black and white negatives taken during the 1960s and 1970s is the largest by a woman photographer held by Historic England.
I first came across her work last year whilst browsing in a second-hand bookshop.
Historic Architecture of Newcastle Upon Tyne (Oriel Press, 1967) was full of striking photographs of a city that I’ve known for the past 40+ years.
Reading the book’s credits revealed that, aside from two images, “all other photography by Ursula Clark.”
So who was Ursula Clark and how did she come to take such a huge number of striking photographs?
The answer and the results of a research project that’s occupied me for several months will be shared later this week during a free online talk for the Royal Photographic Society Historical Group.
The talk coincides with the 25th anniversary of Ursula Clark’s death following a short illness only a few days after her 60th birthday.
During the talk, I will be sharing lots of her wonderful images and revealing new information about her photography and what inspired it.
Hope to see you there, or register for a free recording that will be sent to you afterwards.
In the meantime, here are just a few photographs that demonstrate her skill and eye for a memorable shot of the British landscape in all its variety.
© Historic England Archive/Ursula Clark Collection. UXC01/01/01/0151/28.
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