300 word description

This website brings together the photographic practice of the documentary photographer, Franki Raffles (1955-94). The research aim was to use this digital platform to prevent her work remaining hidden and unknown, and to begin to assess her contribution to feminist photography. Raffles gained recognition for her groundbreaking images for the charity Zero Tolerance’s campaign in 1992-93 raising awareness of male violence against women. She died aged thirty-nine in December 1994 and as a consequence her work had been forgotten until the start of this research project.

Working with Raffles’ family, Scott brought together the photographs from her entire career. With the website he began the process of curating and interpreting her practice and disseminating her work. The research identified eleven major projects and selected key images from throughout her career. The website provides contextual background and biographical material. The PI undertook new primary research about the significance of this work with ten interviews and embedded video from contributors who had known Raffles’ working practice.

The website has facilitated further scholarly investigation and further components for this output. The entire archive material was deposited with the Photographic Archive, St Andrews University Library. There was further dissemination through presentations at Stills Gallery, Edinburgh and the University of Stirling, and an exhibition at St Andrews Photography Festival 2016. The PI published a peer-reviewed article (Component 2) in the journal Studies in the History of Scottish Photography. This resulted in a collaboration with Jenny Brownrigg, Exhibitions Director, Glasgow School of Art, to curate the exhibition Observing Women Working – Franki Raffles, Reid Gallery, Glasgow March-April 2017, accompanied by a publication (Component 3). This led to the Scott/Brownrigg presentation at the International Fast Forward Women in Photography Lithuania Conference, Nov 2017. Dissemination continues for example with the Tate Contemporary Art Network Study Day Nov 2019.

The Franki Raffles Archive Research Project

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