Jo Spence

author · photographer

British^[1] b. 15 June 1934, London, United Kingdom^[1] d. 24 June 1992, Camden Town, London, United Kingdom^[1] active 1967–1992

Jo Spence (1934–1992) was a British photographer, writer, cultural worker, and photo therapist. She began her career in commercial photography, running a studio specializing in family portraits and wedding photos from 1967 to 1974. In the 1970s, she shifted toward documentary photography with socialist and feminist themes, becoming a founding member of the Hackney Flashers collective. Spence was also an educator and broadcaster who studied the theory and practice of photography at the Polytechnic of Central London (now University of Westminster) under Victor Burgin. She is well known for her politicized approach to image-making and her pioneering work in 'photo therapy,' which used photography as a tool for psychological health, particularly during her own battle with breast cancer.^[1,2,3]

• feminism
• socialism
• domesticity
• illness
• identity