Anselm Gallagher
This is the rst public exhibition of the collection of Black and White photographs by former professional
photographer Anselm Gallagher from County Leitrim, which were recently featured in the Manchester Evening
News.
The 55-year-old took these never-before-seen shots during his formative years as a photographer, while studying
photography at Stockport College, with most of the images taken around Levenshulme, Longsight and in the city
centre.
They document "major historic Irish events" such as the International Thai Boxing match between Ireland and
England at the former Palace Nightclub as well as music events like the Northwest CCE Fleadh.
Anselm grew up and spent the rst twenty seven years of his life in the West of Ireland including ve years at
University College Galway where he graduated with an Arts Degree and a Higher Diploma in Education.
Ireland in the 1980s offered little in the way of employment so in 1987 he moved to the UK where at rst he lived in
London and bought his rst 35mm camera. He met Henri Cartier Bresson by chance while working in London
around 1990 and saw the Magnum ‘In Our Time’ exhibition at the Hayward Gallery where his eyes were opened to
the wonders of black and white street photography.
In 1994 he moved to Manchester to do a documentary photography course at Stockport College. All of the images
in this exhibition were taken during this period and Anselm would like to say a thank you to all the people who
allowed me into their lives.
Anselm, who now works as a primary school teacher in Hertfordshire, said: “I was going through negatives and
realised that there were dozens of pictures that have never been seen. They capture my work with the Manchester
Irish Festival in 1997 and photographs of City fans at Maine Road.”
“I moved to the city in 1994 and stayed for four years. During that time I was studying at Stockport College and
living on Harrison Road in Levenshulme, but I would take my camera out with me at all times.”
Because all of the images were taken in a candid, street style the people in the photographs are unnamed. The
exhibition hopes to be able to reunite people with their images and identify the characters captured at the time. If
you recognise anyone in these photographs or the ones on display from the 4-20 March
please email [email protected]
fred's ale house
Real Ale House, Coffee Shop & Art Gallery
843 Stockport Road, Levenshulme Manchester M19 3PW Telephone 0161 221 0297