In Sophie’s Orbit

An illustrated journey following the footsteps of Sophie Gaudier Brzeska and illuminating the women photographers who would have been in her orbit.

Wotton-Under-Edge is celebrating the centenary of the death of one of their most interesting residents this year: Sophie Gaudier Brzeska, who lived in Wotton from 1916 to 1922, when she was hospitalised at the then asylum in Gloucester, where she died in 1925.

Hundred Heroines is joining the celebrations with a talk with the Wotton Historical Society and an exhibition later in the year.

The years 1872-1925 (Sophie’s dates) represent an interesting period for women photographers. By 1872, advancements in the processes meant that photography was now more widely available. Women, in particular, embraced the medium. The aristocrats saw it as a suitable hobby, since it didn’t encroach on the men’s fine art territory; the lower-class women soon realised that they could make a good living in photography, which gave them the financial independence they sought.

Tickets are £6 and available on the night on the door.