beafordarchive
The Beaford Archive – part of Beaford Arts, the longest-running rural arts organisation in England – was established in the early 1970s to document the land, its people, and their traditional way of life in rural North Devon.
Today’s Archive is largely the creation of one man. Shortly after its inception, artist and photographer James Ravilious (1939-1999) was asked to take ‘a few photos’ for the collection. Seventeen years later, he had created a uniquely detailed portrait of a corner of England on the brink of change.