Rob Bremner’s photographs captured the mood of Liverpool during the turbulent Thatcher years, highlighting the everyday life and positive spirit of the people – the colorful and casual fashions and local characters who were proud of their city.
“I know how to take portraits in the sense that I’ll look for a background and people, but basically, I just ask people if I can take their photo. Obviously, you’re hanging around the same area, so you get to know people.”
Rob Bremner is a British social and documentary photographer born in Wick, in the North of Scotland. Whilst studying in Wallasey, Rob became acquainted with photographers Tom Wood and Martin Parr. He would help out in Tom’s darkroom and spend his weekends following Tom and Martin around the faded resort of New Brighton as they documented the area.
Rob was later accepted on to David Hurn’s Documentary Photography course in Newport, Wales. It was around this time he started to photograph the Everton and Vauxhall areas of Liverpool. Rob Bremner’s iconic photographs in his Merseyside 1980s-90s series capture the mood of the times, but also the everyday life and enduring spirit of the people.
(Photos by © Rob Bremner)