This month to celebrate our exhibition ‘How You See Me: 400 Years of Portraiture from Swindon’s Museums’, we are taking a closer look at the Albert Beaney Collection, where a number of photographs are currently on display until 31st January 2027.
This extensive photographic archive was created by local photographer Albert Beaney between the 1940s and late 1970s. The collection shows ordinary people of Swindon on the streets they lived. Some tell us what certain neighbourhoods were like years ago, while others reveal the types of sports or play that children enjoyed and even their favourite toys. It is interesting to witness how people’s clothes change and the varied ways people interact with the camera.
In today’s world where everyone has a camera in their pocket and photography is so immediate and widespread, it can be easy to dismiss the importance of photographs like the ones taken by Albert Beaney. However, they capture the soul of the town and freeze their subjects in moments of time, amongst family and friends, allowing us to glimpse what life was like before, what it is now and what it can be in the future.
In 2027, Museum & Art Swindon will be putting on an exhibition about life ‘Growing Up In Swindon’. If you have objects or memories that you would like to share with us for this exhibition, we would like to hear from you. Please email us at MASCuratorial@swindon.gov.uk.
