Ian Beesley

Ian Beesley (born 1954) is a British social documentary photographer who has focused on Northern England, particularly Bradford, since the late 1970s. He was course leader for the MA in photography at the University of Bolton. Beesley's work is held in the collections of the Science Museum Group and Smithsonian Institution. In 2012, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society.

Life and work Beesley was born in Eccleshill, Bradford. He studied at Bradford Art College and Bournemouth & Poole College of Art.

Since the late 1970s, he has documented the changing social landscape of Northern England, particularly in Bradford. He photographed Salts Mill in Saltaire as it was closing down in 1986. He spent five years working on the series The Art of Clubbing, about nightclub culture in the UK.

He was course leader for the MA in photography at the University of Bolton in Greater Manchester. Life, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Bradford, 2022. A retrospective.

Collections Science Museum Group, London: 131 prints (as of 17 March 2023) Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA: 5 prints (as of 17 March 2023)

Awards 2012: Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, Bath