Stunning exhibition to open displaying genius of Bobbie Hanvey

Stunning exhibition to open displaying genius of Bobbie Hanvey

18 January 2012

A STUNNING new exhibition by Downpatrick photographer Bobbie Hanvey will open at the recently refurbished Down Arts Centre on Friday night.

About Faces will contain almost 80 photographs from throughout Bobbie’s career as a social chronicler and is dedicated to his old friend David Hammond, the film maker and folk singer who passed away recently.

Singers, politicians and playwrights will feature alongside many of the ordinary people who have been such a feature in Bobbie’s Down Recorder series which has been running for almost two years.

Bobbie is one of Northern Ireland foremost photographers with a career spanning over 40 years. He has amassed a huge collection of negatives which has in recent years attracted the attention of the influential Boston College, in the United States.

The College has acquired thousands of Bobbie’s negatives and set up the Bobbie Hanvey Archive which has catapulted the local photographer to worldwide attention.

Bob O’Neill, a senior official at the college, recently visited Downpatrick to meet Bobbie and to view his collection of photographs.

“We became aware of Bobbie’s collection several years ago and were struck by the enormous range of material,” said Bob.

“As well as local images from the greater Downpatrick area, Bobbie has built up an impressive collection of photographs of some of Ireland’s top authors, playwrights, poets and politicians.

“My own personal favourite is Seamus Heaney in a bog wearing his father’s hat and, of course, the famous shot of Ian Paisley beside Carson’s statue outside Stormont,” said Bob.

About Faces will open on Friday night and will be open to view by the public during the opening hours of the Down Arts Centre.