Ian Beesley
Acclaimed social documentary photographer,
Ian Beesley, completed the Foundation in Art &
Design at Bradford Art College in 1974.
Following his Foundation course at Bradford Art
College, Ian studied at Bournemouth & Poole College
of Art until 1977 when he graduated with a double
distinction in editorial and documentary photography.
He has been a professional photographer for over 30
years and his work has been exhibited widely, both at
home and internationally.
Ian has produced over 20 books, some in collaboration
with local historians, documenting industrial
landscapes, urban life and architecture and vanishing
workplaces. He has also captured such diverse subjects
as professional sportsmen, ophans, tattoos, and
clubbers. Titles include Through the Mill (1987);
Victorian Bradford (1987); Calderdale: Architecture
and History (1988); Victorian Manchester & Salford (1988); Undercliffe: Bradford’s Historic Victorian
Cemetery (1991); Leeds the Architectural Heritage:
A First Selection (1993); A Place of Work (1995);
Claret and Amber in Black and White: Bradford City
AFC’s Premiership Season 1999-2000; The Power,
the Pride, the Passion: Images from the Bradford
Bull’s 2001 Season; Building Sights: The Architecture
and People of Leeds (2001); Orphans of the Fall-out:
Zhitkovitchi Orphanage, Belarus (2001); Meltdown:
Words and Images from West Yorkshire Foundries (2004) and Shining Out: Reflecting the Images of
Stainless Steel Rolling at Shepcote Lane (2006). He
has also worked in film and lectured in photography.
“The year I spent on the Foundation course was
possibly the best year I have had in education. I was
always interested in art but I never did it at school
because of their stupid options system. When I left
school I ended up working at Esholt sewage works. I
had a friend who was a student at Bradford Art College
and he said I should show the tutors there the photos
and bits of writing and drawing I did and see if I could
get a place on a course. Workmates encouraged me
to go for it and told me not to get stuck where I was.
When you work in a sewage works it concentrates your
mind as to what you want to do!
I started in September 1973 and the photo shows
what I looked like then! I am eternally grateful that
I did. The course was great but the best thing was
being part of such a vibrant art scene. I remember
Albert Hunt, all the events and the great speakers that
came in. My favourite was Champion Jack Dupree, the
famous American blues pianist. He had been put in
an orphanage after his parents were killed by the Klu
Klux Klan and he became a bare knuckle fighter before teaching himself to play the piano. I also remember
Brendan Behan’s brother visiting to talk about him,
plus Viv Stanshall and various people from the Bonzo
Dog Doo-Dah Band. It was never a formal programme
but it seemed that nearly every day something
amazing happened.”
Photograph supplied by Ian Beesley