Photographer Seeks Former Schoolboys Featured in Major Tate Exhibition

An acclaimed photographer is endeavoring to locate a group of men whose portraits she captured at a south London school 35 years ago, as these images are slated for inclusion in a significant exhibition. Ingrid Pollard received an invitation from an English teacher at Tulse Hill School to photograph her students in 1989, one year prior to the institution’s closure. The photographs of the boys, who would currently be in their 50s, are scheduled for display at the Tate Britain later this month. Pollard stated that since capturing the images of the teenagers, she has “often… wondered what they’re still doing”. The Turner Prize nominee informed the BBC that when she created the pictures, she had no specific intentions for them, but “it was just marking a moment”. She recounted, “These were her last class… It was nice for the students, the boys. I felt it made them feel special. They were being marked as something special.” She mentioned utilizing a medium format camera for the session, noting that it “was on a tripod – there were lights and everything”. Pollard added, “They had certainly not been photographed that way before.” These images are slated to be included in an exhibition named The 80s: Photographing Britain, which reflects on Margaret Thatcher’s time in office and explores photographers’ reactions to evolving social and economic circumstances. This will signify the inaugural exhibition of Pollard’s photographs of these boys within the United Kingdom. “They are photographs that I’m very pleased with,” she expressed. She continued, “I like the interaction between me and the boys that I can see in the photographs – they weren’t trying to hide.” She further commented, “They might have been shy but they weren’t uncomfortable because they were with their mates.” Pollard estimates the men are likely “in their early 50s I should think now, or late 40s”. She conveyed, “I’ve often, far more recently, wondered what they’re still doing, if they’re still in south London. They might be out of the UK, anything.” She articulated her desire to ascertain their names for proper acknowledgment within the exhibition. Pollard speculated, “I think if we find some of the boys, they might remember people’s names. They could still be friends.” She disclosed, “I did ask their English teacher, but she doesn’t remember.” Pollard noted, “It was a long time ago, if you think how many hundreds of children she must have met at school.” At the time Pollard captured these images, in her 30s, she regarded herself as distant from the mainstream art sphere. “We weren’t expecting to be in the Tate. If we did show pictures, we’d have them in a local library or an alternative space,” she clarified. She added, “It wasn’t a job, it was just something we did. I was working at a print collective, it was very much an alternative scene.” Pollard observed, “Women and black people, they were kind of excluded.” Presently, her work has been showcased in multiple exhibitions at venues such as the Hayward Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum, and this year she received the Hasselblad Award – an international photography honor regarded as one of the most esteemed globally. “I’m being acknowledged now and having exhibitions,” she remarked. She affirmed, “It’s about time, but then I always knew my work was noteworthy and important.” Pollard concluded, “It’s been acknowledged in different ways from the 1980s onwards.” The exhibition, The 80s: Photographing Britain, will be presented at the Tate Britain from 21 November to 5 May 2025.