The Hereford – 2010

The Hereford - text from the 2010 Hereford Photography Festival Catalogue.

"My father was buried wearing his Hereford tie."

Hereford Cattle, known by stockmen worldwide as 'The Hereford', are a symbol of Hereford and an important part of local, rural industry. Hereford Photography Festival commissioned documentary photographer Tessa Bunney to uncover the love for and history of this icon. Bunney visited breeders and their families to record their lives and excavate archives, as well as visiting county shows. Her work draws attention to details which often go forgotten or unnoticed and aims to contribute to the ongoing debate about the changing nature of rural life.

Delving into the breeders' own family archives Bunney discovered beautiful family albums and scrapbooks of cuttings; barn walls 'wallpapered' with show certificates dating back over a hundred years; childhood sketches of cattle drawn by a future famous breeder of Herefords; and a list of all the bulls' names for that year written on the back of an envelope. She dusted off long abandoned husbandry tools with intriguing names such as 'Tattooing Forceps' and 'Little Mother Feeders' and discovered vast collections of photographs by local photographers Bustin, Hammond, Pitt and Beard, that chart the fashion in cattle and livestock photography, lying in boxes and bags.

The exhibition will be on show as part of the Hereford Photography Festival at Hereford Cathedral, Cathedral Close, Hereford, HR1 2NG

Friday 29th October - Saturday 27th November 2010

Opening times: 9.15am - evensong daily

(Monday - Saturday 5.30pm, Sunday 3.30pm)