Described by those who knew him as an artistic genius and photographic pioneer, Graham Finalyson's incredible archive of work represents a dramatic turning point in late 1950s photographic journalism. Prior to this period in time, much of the newspaper industry used photographs simply to enhance articles, to illustrate a key fact, as opposed to printing pictures that told stories of their own.
Finlayson's generation wanted to produce a new sort of photojournalism and push for its inclusion in the mainstream press. They wanted to take naturalistic pictures, images that helped the viewer to consider, understand and empathise with the people that were their subjects.
Finlayson's move to the Manchester Guardian in 1959 allowed him to channel this creativity and pursue his own visual expression. His photographs now in the GNM Archive reflect a diverse range of subjects including social documentary, politics and war. His pictures took him all over the UK, and to Ireland, Indonesia, Nigeria, Spain and Cyprus.
As this treasure trove of photographs show, during his time at the Guardian Finlayson took pictures that were memorable for their own sake, photographs that represented every day life. His collection is searchable online via the GNM Archive catalogue.
As Finlayson said himself, "the Manchester Guardian was a sort of university, the place where I experienced a rather belated education and where I was given the opportunity to become the sort of photographer I wanted to be."
Researchers interested in making an appointment to consult the Graham Finlayson collection should contact the archive team.
