The Museum has acquired three stunning shots by social documentary photographer Shirley Baker.
Born in Salford in 1932, Baker was one of the few women practising street photography in post-war Britain.
Curator of women’s football, Belinda Scarlett, said: “Baker’s best-known work focused on every-day experience in inner city areas of Manchester between the 1960s and 1980s.
“Her work captured quiet every-day moments against a backdrop of industrial decline and neglect.”
In her exploration of working-class communities in Salford and Manchester Baker stumbled upon and captured football. In the above image, a mass of schoolboys emerge from the mist as they chase the ball.
Belinda: “Photographing women was such an important part of Baker’s work. In the image below a woman and child welcome victorious Manchester City after their league title win in 1968. The images show football as a part of a way of life for people.”
The three images become part of the museum’s growing photography archive as we work towards our pledge of increasing representation of women in our collection.