PhotoClub - A Day in the Long Life of The Grainger Market

Digital Voice has been supporting PhotoClub for many years with the expertise of its resident photographer Robin Cowings. He has supported the groups of families of children with and without additional needs to produce photos and photography projects to an amazing standard of excellence. This blog highlights one of PhotoClub’s most interesting creative projects.

PhotoClub produces several creative digital projects each year. Here is another example and more info: PhotoClub - Isolation Diaries More info - PhotoClub

The Grainger Market in Newcastle is a rare and special place. It is a thriving market run by independent traders; many of them run by families for generations. The market is also a kind of beautiful living and breathing historical museum, with still much of the original features and architecture from 1835 when it opened. The Marks & Spencer Penny Bazaar opened in 1895 and still survives today as a still functioning shop.

This fascinating space seemed to be the perfect subject for an interesting documentary photography project for the families of Photo Club. We wanted to capture a mixture of its remarkable history and the community spirit and thoughts of the workers and shoppers who have been going to the market through their lives.

Before the Covid-19 lockdown, the talented families from Photo Club began taking photographs of the hustle and bustle of the market; the evocative architecture and interviewed and took portraits of the people working there. The work was originally going to be exhibited in the market some time this year in 2020. Who knows, it may still be.

In the meanwhile, we wanted to share the fascinating photographs that the families have taken. Looking at them again and preparing them for this online exhibition has been a surprisingly moving experience seeing life before the pandemic, only a handful of months ago. I am looking forward to the opportunity to visit our market again once it is safe to do so.

Robin Cowings June 2020

Massive thanks to Newcastle Libraries for the archive images.