London in the hands of its youth: Roger Mayne at The Courtauld
Documentary photography gives the youth of postwar London centre stage in The Courtauld's celebration of Roger Mayne...
By
Rhea Mathur
July 3, 2024
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
There is an image of a young boy playing football in Youth, an exhibition of post-Second World War photographs taken by Roger Mayne. Situated in the first exhibition room, on the third floor of the Courtauld Gallery, this framed, modern print is titled Goalie, Brindley Road, Paddington (1956) and, like all the black and white photographic prints in this exhibition, focuses on the streets of 1950s London. The image of the boy is dynamic: he jumps across the print to catch the ball, wearing a shirt, blazer and shorts, positioned in the middle of a dark, derelict street. The boy’s face is completely absorbed in the game, juxtaposed with his situation and the reality of growing up in post-war Britain (1945-1979). Featured on the cover of The Observer in August 1956, this image vividly captures the global unrest occurring just months before the Hungarian Revolution began in October of that year.
Roger Mayne’s photographs of post-war Britain were taken around the same time as the creation of Frank Auerbach’s Charcoal Heads, the exhibition that ended this May at the Courtauld. Youth creates a similar atmosphere of unease, emphasising the simultaneous creation and destruction of the city. What is different, however, is Mayne’s focus on documentation; he focuses specifically on young adults, navigating this new world of poverty, collapsed industries and poor housing conditions. He captures them in their daily lives trying to cope with the Britain they were born into, while also documenting their sense of adventure and their child-like hopefulness. While the boy in the image is on the streets because houses in 1950s London were overcrowded and unsanitary, he is playing football, creating a space for himself amidst the overarching despondency threatening to engulf the city. The Youth in this way, much like Auerbach’s portraits that symbolised his escape from Hitler’s Germany, stands for resilience, hope and the inevitable creation that lies in destruction.
Mayne’s photographs found a natural home in the art publications in the late 1950s, 1960s and even the early 1970s. In a vitrine in the second room of the exhibition space, the audience can see them being used by the British Press as covers of books such as Sula Wolff’s 1969 Pelican publication Children under Stress, which features a close-up photograph of a young girl in a school uniform. Also included is Peter Willmat’s Adolescent Boys of East London (1966) with Mayne’s image of two boys jumping on the streets of London as well as a photograph of a young girl walking on cobbled streets with the backdrop of people sitting on the footsteps of their homes, featured on the cover of Poverty: The Forgotten Englishmen (1970) by Ken Coates and Richard Silburn. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition allows the audience to reflect on Mayne’s imagery and his significant contribution to the study of youth in 1950s Britain.
Giving a holistic look at Mayne’s life, The Spanish Honeymoon is a section of the exhibition which addresses Mayne’s marriage in 1962 to the established playwright Ann Jellicoe (1927-2017), further leading to Family in Focus which features images of their daughter (Katkin), son (Tom) and granddaughter (Zoe). Mayne did not shy away from capturing images of his own family. The exhibition boldly presents an image of childbirth, collages of pictures of the three children growing up, pictures of their homes and family vacations. Most of the prints in the exhibition are a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s expansive collection of Mayne’s work, but also Mayne’s archives facilitated by his daughter.
Throughout his life, Mayne photographed adults as well. However, it is his images of teens, young adults, and children - sometimes posing, sometimes looking away - that helped define the complexities of post-war Britain. Growing up in such an environment, the children defined the evolving culture, shaping and transforming it, and bringing vitality back to the city. The photographs, book covers, collages and prints featured in the exhibition take us back to a time of regrowth, creation and the formulation of new identities, allowing us to grasp the significant role that art plays in documenting our evolving societies. It allows the audience to see Mayne’s work, understand his impact and it reminds Britain that change has always been crucial to its flourishing landscape.
Roger Mayne: Youth is showing at The Courtauld Gallery until 1st September.
