Thread by @PulpLibrarian

John Bulmer was a pioneer of British colour photojournalism, and documented the changing face of the North of England in the '60s and '70s.

Let's take a look at some of his work... #FridayFeeling

Bulmer was brought up in Herefordshire, but much of his early photojournalism was in the North - an area undergoing huge change by the start of the 1960s.

In 1965 he was commissioned by the Sunday Times colour magazine to illustrate a long piece by Arthur Hopcraft: "The north is dead, long live the new north."

At the time colour photography wasn't popular for news reporting: the film was difficult to work with, slower than black and white with less exposure latitude.

But Bulmer persevered. Shooting in subdued or fading light his images have a soft, pastel feel that brings out a nostalgic warmth from his subjects.

Bulmer's photographs often contrast a sparse, muted background with a more dynamic image of one or two people in the foreground. It emphasised change and dislocation.

But his use of colour felt revolutionary. The North had always been shown in black and white, so for many newspaper readers Bulmer's photography was an invigorating contrast to what they had seen before.

Bummer would go on to take photos and shoot films all over the world, but it is his work in the North that really resonates for many - capturing in colour a world and a way of life undergoing rapid change.

The muted colours and distinctive wide-angle shots also summon up a feeling of dislocation - as if we are seeing a world rapidly receeding into the past, overtaken by the new.

There's also a wry humour to many of Bulmer's photographs. Often the people in them seem bystanders to the changes happening around them.

There are many excellent books of John Bulmer's work. The North (2012) is an excellent place to start if you're interested.

More photography another time...

(Best get the washing in now...)

A number of readers have asked to see some more of John Bulmer's photographs. Happy to oblige!

County Durham pit workers, 1964.

Mill workers in Elland eating chips, 1965. Photo by John Bulmer.

Orkney, 1976. Photo by John Bulmer.

Street life, Manchester 1977. Photo by John Bulmer.

Pit ponies, County Durham 1964. Photo by John Bulmer.

Hardware store, Manchester 1977. Photo by John Bulmer.

Liverpool, 1965. Photo by John Bulmer.

Manchester street corner, 1977. Photo by John Bulmer.

Yorkshire, 1965. Photo by John Bulmer.

Lonely pub, Manchester 1977. Photo by John Bulmer.

Washing line, Halifax 1965. Photo by John Bulmer.

I'll do some more British street photography soon...