The Hackney Flashers: Photography as a Socialist Feminist Endeavour

Abstract

This article discusses the photographic and cultural activities of the Hackney Flashers, an all-women socialist feminist photography collective that operated in the London Hackney borough during the 1970s. The paper explores this group’s ‘ photography projects, the feminist and political arguments they posed, and the various debates informing their practice. This study examines the platforms in which the Hackney Flashers exhibited their projects and their distinct political and visual strategies. The study also considers the Hackney Flashers’ disputed entrance into the Fine Arts institution through their participation in Three Perspectives on British Photography: Recent British Photography at the Hayward Gallery (1979) and the subsequent breakup of the group. It reviews the context of the Hackney Flashers’ participation in this exhibition, considers their contribution to the show, and analyzes the context of their negative reception.