Christina Broom

Christina Broom (née Livingston; 28 December 1862 – 5 June 1939) was a Scottish photographer, credited as "the UK's first female press photographer".

Early life Christina Livingston was born on 28 December 1862 at 8 King's Road, Chelsea, London, the seventh of eight children of Scottish parents. Her father was Alexander Livingston (1812–1875), a master bootmaker and her mother Margaret Fair (1826–1884). In 1903, following the failure of the family ironmongery business and other business ventures, perhaps as Albert had been injured in a cricket match, with damage to the bone in his shin in 1896, which did not heal, but she took publicity pictures of Women's Sunday in 1908, and the mass march on 23 July 1910, when 10,000 women gathered, the Irish group dressed in green, and on 26 July 1913, women 'pilgrims' who had walked from Carlisle to London to support the moderate suffragists. Broom not only took pictures of suffragettes at events and marches but more informal shots throughout their campaign. She took images of the local Church pageant in Fulham in 1909 and the Army pageant in Fulham Palace grounds in 1910.

Albert died in 1912 and Christina and Winifred moved to Munster Road, Fulham. Broom took the professional name of Mrs Albert Broom. Christina and Winifred continued to photograph notable buildings, and people in informal and formal scenes, Broom's health was affected by severe backpain and Winnie had to sometimes push her in a wheelchair to the Barracks to do her work. the Illustrated London News, The Tatler, The Sphere and Country Life.

On 17 December 2009, a collection of some 2,000 of her photographs, mainly of military subjects, was to be offered for sale by auction at Sotheby's in London. It failed to sell and was acquired privately by the Museum of London. In June 2015, the museum opened an exhibition of her photographs entitled Soldiers and Suffragettes. Commentators noted the quality of the images In November 2022 Donaldson's work featured in the GLEAN exhibition at Edinburgh's City Art Centre. The exhibition featured 14 early women photographers who had worked in Scotland. The photographs and films that were curated by Jenny Brownrigg were by Mary Ethel Muir Donaldson, Helen Biggar, Violet Banks, Beatrice Garvie, Jenny Gilbertson, Isabel Frances Grant, Ruby Grierson, Marion Grierson, Isobel Wylie Hutchison, Johanna Kissling, Isabell Burton-MacKenzie, Margaret Fay Shaw and Margaret Watkins.

Broom was one of a record number of women commemorated by English Heritage blue plaques in 2024, alongside others including Diana Beck, Irene Barclay and Adelaide Hall. Her blue plaque was unveiled on 8 August 2024 at 92 Munster Road, Fulham, London, SW6 5RD, her home from 1913 until her death in 1939.

Media recognition

Broom was subject of the BBC Four documentary Britain in Focus: A Photographic History episode 2.

Some photographs