The ‘120 Project’ to Mark the 120th Anniversary of Bedford Camera Club
Background
In 1906, 18 intrepid photographers came together to form Bedford Camera Club.
They would cart their large wooden cameras, and tripods around Bedford and take photographs of local scenes like the one below, which is the Three Fishes pub at Turvey.
What is particularly fascinating about this picture and the others they took, is that they captured ordinary life. It was daily life then, but now it is from a time gone by.
Three Fishes - Turvey, 1900's
Photographer: "Unknown"
Our Proposal
To mark the 120th anniversary of the Bedford Camera Club, we propose a documentary project, to be called the 120 Project. To capture everyday life as it is lived in Bedford now in 2026. We want to create a record of today, not just the major events, but the mundane ordinary details that we all take for granted.
We want to create a sense of place through not just one, but hundreds of photographs from in and around Bedford. We also want to create a sense of time by restricting our photography to one year.
"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still," said Dorothea Lange. The American photojournalist best known for her Depression era photography during the 1920s in the United States.
Our Objective
To establish an archive of photographs taken by our members for the 120 Project. The collection will provide a resource which describes Bedford in 2026 for future generations. Just as the photographs from those early pioneers do today.
The project is open to all current Bedford Camera Club members who have access to the club's Photo Entry system. The system will collect, process and display their photographs.
We will publish selected images in a photo book and on social media. All the final images will be digitally archived.
How We Will Do It
The members of the club with an interest in documentary photography, will take record shots in Bedford and the surrounding villages. The photographs will be taken in public places, and fall into the following six categories:
· At work: e.g. emergency services, road repairs, collecting the bins, working ‘at home’ etc
· At play: e.g. sport, exercise, walking the dog, watching TV, the World Cup, hanging out, relaxing on the river etc
· On the move: e.g. traffic jams, cycles, buses, trains, the school run etc
· What’s new: e.g. fashion, technology, EV’s, drones etc
· Buildings and infrastructure: e.g. the railway station, bus station, fire station, recent architecture, traffic lights, shops, pubs, restaurants, the High St etc.
· Media: e.g. signs, posters, news, packaging, pricing etc.
We will adopt a relaxed documentary style, looking to photograph simple moments as they happen, capturing the beauty of the mundane, and the ordinary pulse of everyday life.
As a result, the 120 Project will become a collection of interesting images, that provides a social history, and unique perspective on Bedford in 2026.