Rural Life in Llŷn and Eifionydd - Through the lens of Geoff Charles at Plas Glyn-y-Weddw.
This exhibition gives an insight into rural life in Llŷn and Eifionydd between the 1930s and the 1970s through a selection of photographs taken by photojournalist Geoff Charles (1909-2002).
His photographs document life in rural Wales and most were taken for the newspaper Y Cymro. Originally from Brymbo near Wrexham, he began working for Y Cymro on an occasional basis in 1937, and became a full-time member of staff after the Second World War.
CHARLES, Geoff © Geoff Charles Estate / Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru - The National Library of Wales
CHARLES, Geoff © Geoff Charles Estate / Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru - The National Library of Wales
CHARLES, Geoff © Geoff Charles Estate / Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru - The National Library of Wales
A collection of around 120,000 photographs by Geoff Charles is held at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. We are very grateful to the Library for allowing us to borrow images from the collection, together with the film ‘Yr Etifeddiaeth’ (The Heritage), for this exhibition. These loans have been made possible through the CELF project, which aims to display contemporary artwork from the national collection in a network of galleries across Wales.
During his career, Geoff Charles made a significant contribution to agriculture in Wales, not only by documenting rural life during decades of considerable change and development, but also through his work for Farmers Weekly. During the Second World War, he served on the exhibition subcommittee of the Montgomeryshire War Agricultural Executive Committee, which was responsible for improving farming practices.
The exhibition also includes agricultural and rural-life-related objects on loan from local residents.
We are also delighted to have commissioned the artist Anna Higson from Boduan to create work responding to ‘Yr Etifeddiaeth’. The film can be viewed in the space beneath the stage of the open-air theatre. This commission has been made possible through CELF.
Rural Life in Llŷn and Eifionydd - Through the lens of Geoff Charles is at Plas Glyn-y-Weddw from 22 July - 4 October 2026. For more information please head to the Plas Glyn-y-Weddw's website.
