James Ravilious originally trained as a painter, but was inspired to take up photography by visiting the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1969. In 1972 he moved to North Devon, and began what would become his life’s work in documenting the people and landscape of this region for the Beaford Archive.
Ravilious’s work often documented small-scale Devon farmers, bringing to light some of the hardships they encountered, and the resourcefulness, humour and stoicism of many of the locals Ravilious got to know personally. Here, Ivor Brock is rescuing one of his neighbour’s lambs from a snowdrift during the ‘Great Blizzard’ of 1978, while the ewe, its mother, follows anxiously, drawn by the wisp of hay he holds in his other hand. Despite this being taken in the late seventies, Ivor is not wearing gloves, and his non-waterproof coat is tied with string, making this photograph seem from a much earlier age or more deprived country. In reality, the poverty and remoteness of the area left much of the local population to ‘make do and get by’ using resources and methods handed down from previous generations, mixed with the odd newfangled piece of kit being shared around the community when it was available.