Above: Dr Beatrice Garvie in North Ronaldsay.
The Garvie Archive D156/0062 by permission of Orkney Library and Archive.
This exhibition showcases some of the exceptional photographs of island life, taken by Beatrice Garvie when she was doctor on North Ronaldsay, during the 1930s and ‘40s.
She took many hundreds of photographs of men and women at work on the shore and in the fields; of children, families, and the babies she had also delivered, often giving copies of her photographs to the people who were in them.
After her death the albums which she had kept were returned to Orkney at the request of the people of North Ronaldsay. Since 2020 islanders have worked together with Fiona Sanderson to rediscover the story of Dr Garvie, and her photography; developing a new body of collaborative work, also on show in the exhibition.
On Saturday 15 March at 2pm, Fiona Sanderson will give an informal walk and talk to introduce the exhibition, followed by a talk by Lesley Booth, heritage knitwear specialist, at 3.15pm on Reconstructing the Garvie Sweater and Tammie.THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED
Lesley first saw the Fair Isle sweater worn by Dr Garvie, in the photograph at the ‘Glean’ exhibition of Scottish Women Photographers. Her interest in the Garvie sweater led to extensive research into the colour ways and styles of Fair Isle, during the 1920s and ‘30s. Her talk will cover the process of reconstructing a pattern from a single, black and white photograph. Her finished ‘Garvie’ sweater, and tammie are included in the exhibition.
These events are free but spaces are limited so please let us know if you would like to attend to guarantee a place. (Email: info@pierartscentre.com or Tel: 01856 850209)
On Saturday 26 April at 2pm there will be a talk on ‘Early Women Doctors in Orkney’ by the Orkney Women Doctors Research Group at the Orkney Library and Archive. The event is free but booking essential through the Orkney Library and Archive (Tel: 01856 873166)
This early stages of this project were supported through Culture Collective a co-creative community arts project funded by Creative Scotland and managed in Orkney by the Pier Arts Centre.