Children of Cumbria

Children of Cumbria

by Daniel Peddle

In the Summer of 1991, Daniel won a three month study grant to anywhere in the world. His fascination with British writers hearkening from the Lake District like Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth, John Keats and many others, led him to the fells of North West England. Here, between the River Lune and River Eden, in the small remote village of Ravenstonedale, Daniel set up a studio and began teaching art at the local one-room school house. After gaining the trust of the faculty and students, he embarked on documenting the daily routine of the young students with a special focus on the recess period. Children of Cumbria is the resulting 150-page book of insightful black and white photographs culled from thousands of images. It reveals the interpersonal dynamics, character and habits of children not yet encumbered by technology and city-life. A “portrait of playtime” is combined with intimate moments of solitude expressing a deep connection between children and nature.