Polly Braden (born 1974) is a Scottish documentary photographer, living in London. Her work on

learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...

and

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

has been shown in exhibitions at the

National Science and Media Museum The National Science and Media Museum (formerly The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, 1983–2006 and then the National Media Museum, 2006–2017), located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is part of the national Science Museum G ...

in Bradford and at

mac, Birmingham MAC (stylized as mac) (formerly Midlands Arts Centre) is a non-profit arts centre situated in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. It was established in 1962 and is registered as an educational charity which hosts art exhibitions, ...

. Her work on

single parent A single parent is a person who has a child or children but does not have a spouse or live-in partner to assist in the upbringing or support of the child. Reasons for becoming a single parent include divorce, break-up, abandonment, becoming wid ...

families has been shown in exhibitions at the

Museum of the Home The Museum of the Home, formerly the Geffrye Museum, is a free museum in the 18th-century Grade I-listed former almshouses on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch, London. The museum explores home and home life from 1600 to the present day with galler ...

in London and

Open Eye Gallery Open Eye Gallery is a photography gallery and archive in Liverpool, UK that was established in 1977. It is housed in a purpose-built building on the waterfront at Mann Island, its fourth location. Open Eye Gallery comprises an exhibition space ...

in Liverpool. Braden won Photographer of the Year in the

Guardian Student Media Award The ''Guardian'' Student Media Awards were an annual UK-wide student journalism competition run by ''The Guardian'' newspaper. They were cancelled from 2016 onwards to save costs. History Since 1947, The National Union of Students (NUS) have run ...

in 2002.

Life and work

Braden was born in

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

, Scotland. She graduated from

London College of Printing The London College of Communication is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. It specialises in media-related subjects including advertising, animation, film, graphic design, photography and sound arts. It has approximately ...

in 2003. She lives in London and is a single parent. Her subjects have included China (where she lived for over 15 years), the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

families, and

and

Publications

Books of work by Braden

*''China Between''. Stockport:

Dewi Lewis Dewi Lewis (born 10 March 1951) is a Welsh publisher and curator of photography. Career In 1975, Lewis was the founding director of the Bury Metropolitan Arts Association which operates the Met. Lewis also founded and was the first director of ...

, 2010. . With essays by

David Campany David Campany (born 8 October 1967) is a British writer, curator, artist and educator, working mainly with photography. He has written and edited books; contributed essays and reviews to other books, journals, magazines and websites; curated pho ...

and

Jennifer Higgie Jennifer Higgie is an Australian novelist, screenwriter, art critic and editor of the London-based contemporary arts magazine, ''Frieze''. The Australian band Falling Joys, whose lead singer is her sister Susie Higgie, released the song "Jennife ...

. *''Great Interactions: Life with Learning Disabilities and Autism''. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2016. . With an interview by David Campany and an afterword by Sophie Howarth. *''London Square Mile: a Secret City''. Tales from the City: Book 8. Hoxton Mini, 2019. . With an essay by

David Kynaston David Thomas Anthony Kynaston (; born 30 July 1951 in Aldershot) is an English historian specialising in the social history of England. Early life and education Kynaston was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire and New College, Oxford, fr ...

Books with one other

*''Adventures in the Lea Valley''. East London Photo Stories: Book 12. Hoxton Mini, 2016. With David Campany. . *''Out of the Shadows: the untold story of people with autism or learning disabilities''. Stockport: Dewi Lewis; West Bromwich: Multistory, 2018. With seven stories by Sally Williams and three first-hand accounts. . *''A Place For Me: 50 Stories of Finding Home''. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2022. With Sally Williams. .

Books with contributions by Braden

*''

Street Photography Now ''Street Photography Now'' is a survey book of contemporary street photography, edited by Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren and published by Thames & Hudson in 2010. It includes work by 56 photographers. Blake Andrews described the book as "th ...

.'' London:

Thames & Hudson Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...

, 2010. (hardback). London: Thames & Hudson, 2011. (paperback). Edited by Sophie Howarth and

Stephen McLaren Stephen McLaren is a Scottish photographer, writer, and curator, based in Los Angeles. He has edited various photography books published by Thames & Hudson—including '' Street Photography Now'' (2010)—and produced his own, ''The Crash'' (2018) ...

. Includes work by Braden made in China.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions and similar

*''Great Interactions: Photographs by Polly Braden'',

, Bradford, 2016 *''Polly Braden & Sally Williams: Out of the Shadows: the untold story of people with autism or learning disabilities'',

, 2018 *''Holding The Baby'',

, London, 2021;

, Liverpool, 2021. With text by

Claire-Louise Bennett Claire-Louise Bennett is a British writer, living in Galway in Ireland. She has written ''Pond'' (2015), which was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize; and ''Checkout 19'' (2021), which was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize. Biography Benne ...

and Sally Williams. * Holding The Baby, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK (2022)

Group exhibitions

*''Real Estate: Art in a Changing City'',

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...

, London, 2005 included ''Adventures in the Valley (Ongoing)'' with Campany *''Made in China'',

Museum of Contemporary Photography The Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) was founded in 1976 by Columbia College Chicago as the successor to the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography. The museum houses a permanent collection as well as the Midwest Photographers Project ...

, Chicago, 2006 *''London Street Photography: 1860–2010,''

Museum of London The Museum of London is a museum in London, covering the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times. It was formed in 1976 by amalgamating collections previously held by the City Corporation at the Guildhall, London, Gui ...

, London, 2011

Awards

*2002: Winner, Photographer of the Year,

Collections

Braden's work is held in the following permanent collection: *

Guildhall Art Gallery The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the art collection of the City of London, England. The museum is located in the Moorgate area of the City of London. It is a stone building in a semi-Gothic style intended to be sympathetic to the historic Guild ...

, London

References

External links

* Documentary photographers 21st-century British photographers Scottish photographers Scottish women photographers People from Perthshire Living people 1974 births Women photojournalists {{UK-photographer-stub