Fascinating photos capture the elderly enjoying life outdoors

From a golden age: Fascinating photos capture the elderly enjoying life outdoors in the 60s, 70s and 80s as they feed pigeons, fall asleep on park benches and picnic in the sun

  • They were taken by Shirley Baker a leading British photographer of the post-war period around Manchester
  • The collection will be on view from June 22 until July 24 in a virtual exhibition by the James Hyman Gallery
  • Shirley’s daughter gathered photos to show elderly people enjoying life in a way not possible currently
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Fascinating photos have captured the elderly enjoying life outdoors in the 60s, 70s and 80s – as they feed pigeons, fall asleep on park benches and picnic in the sun.

The images were taken by Shirley Baker – one of the leading British photographers of the post-war period – around Manchester and Salford.

This collection offers an intimate look at the daily life of working class communities and will be on view from June 22 until July 24 in a virtual exhibition by the James Hyman Gallery in London. 

Shirley’s daughter Nan Levy says she gathered together a selection of her mother’s photographs to show older people enjoying their lives outside in a way that is not possible at the moment because of the current coronavirus pandemic. 

The images offer a juxtaposition of half-demolished and often quite grim backgrounds next to amusing scenes and children.     

Shirley Baker, once writing of her motivations, said: ‘I love the immediacy of unposed, spontaneous photographs and the ability of the camera to capture the serious, the funny, the sublime and the ridiculous. 

‘Despite the many wonderful pictures of the great and famous, I feel that less formal; quotidian images can often convey more of the life and spirit of the time.’

  • The collection will be on view from June 22 until July 24 in a virtual exhibition by the James Hyman Gallery in London.  

Fascinating photos have captured the elderly enjoying life outdoors in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Pictured is an elderly woman in Manchester in 1965 looking at a cat

This fascinating image taken at the Manchester Dog Show by Shirley Baker shows three older people clutching their pets during the competition

The images were taken by Shirley Baker – one of the leading British photographers of the post-war period. Pictured is an image of a man feeding pigeons in Manchester in 1965

This stunning collection of images offers an intimate look at the daily life of working class communities. Pictured are two elderly women at a country show in 1983


Left: this image captures an elderly woman sat on her doorstep in Manchester in 1968. Right: in another photograph one woman has fallen asleep on a park bench holding her walking stick

The collection will be on view from June 22 until July 24 in a virtual exhibition by the James Hyman Gallery. Pictured are two men asleep on a park bench 

The exhibition explores Baker’s humorous and humanist depiction of older people, showcasing her rare colour work as well as a selection of iconic black and white street scenes


Co-curated by Baker’s daughter Nan Levy and James Hyman, ‘A Different Age’ reveals an increasingly rare sight today even as lockdown eases: the view of elderly folk congregating in parks, asleep on benches, and nonchalantly spending time outdoors

Shirley’s daughter Nan Levy says she gathered together a selection of her mother’s photographs to show older people enjoying their lives outside in a way that is not possible at the moment because of the current coronavirus pandemic

The images offer a juxtaposition of half-demolished and often quite grim backgrounds next to amusing scenes and children


Left: A man drives his car in Chester, in 1960. Right: A couple on Stockport Road, Stockport in 1967. The images will be part of a virtual exhibition

Shirley Baker, once writing of her motivations, said: ‘I love the immediacy of unposed, spontaneous photographs and the ability of the camera to capture the serious, the funny, the sublime and the ridiculous’. Pictured: a musician in Manchester in 1985

The collection will be on view from June 22 until July 24 in a virtual exhibition by the James Hyman Gallery. Pictured are two women on a street

The collection is a mixture between full colour images and black and white photographs. Pictured is a woman having a cigarette in Manchester in 1985

Known for capturing street scenes around Manchester and Salford, Shirley Baker is one of the leading British photographers of the post-war period

The pictures offer an intimate look at the daily life of working-class communities during the 1960s and up to the late 1970s. Pictured is a woman sat outside her home with a horse 

This stunning black and white image portrays a woman sat on a chair overlooking a river with a large horse in the foreground

  • The collection will be on view from June 22 until July 24 in a virtual exhibition by the James Hyman Gallery in London.  

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