John Bulmer

John Bulmer was one of the pioneers of colour photography at the start of the 1960s, at a time when many of his contemporaries in the field of reportage regarded monochrome imagery as an absolute standard.

Bulmer spent more than twenty years working on assignments for the Sunday Times Magazine, the Daily Express and Man About Town (later Town), for which he produced much of his most celebrated documentary work, including his story on the north of England.

These photographs perfectly capture the bleakness and austerity of northern England during the '60s and '70s; examine them in context with images of London and other southern cities from around the same time and they also serve to highlight the extremes of the north-south wealth divide, which was particularly distinct during this period.

If you'd like a bit more background, there's a good article on John Bulmer at the Western Daily Press site.