{"id":525080,"date":"2026-07-14T05:46:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T05:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/525080\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T05:46:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T05:46:20","slug":"ahead-of-his-time-exhibition-to-celebrate-work-of-pioneering-photographer-john-d-rattar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/525080\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Ahead of his time\u2019 \u2013 exhibition to celebrate work of pioneering photographer John D. Rattar"},"content":{"rendered":"

A FRESH perspective on the pioneering work of one of Shetland\u2019s most celebrated photographers is set to be unveiled this week.<\/p>\n

Shetland Museum and Archives is set to mark the 150th anniversary of John D. Rattar with the exhibition A Time to Keep, which will open on Saturday.<\/p>\n

It offers a new appreciation of Rattar\u2019s work, inviting visitors to look beyond the iconic images that have been part of isles homes for generations.<\/p>\n

Combining large-scale prints, original photographs and personal objects, the exhibition reveals the artist, explorer and visual historian behind the camera.<\/p>\n

While visitors will instantly recognise many of Rattar\u2019s iconic photographs, the exhibition also uncovers lesser-known portraits, wildlife studies and landscapes.<\/p>\n

A cave at the knab. Photo: J.D. Rattar<\/p>\n

Born in Fethaland in 1876, Rattar\u2019s father died at sea when he was just six weeks old. He was raised by his mother in Northmavine before the family later moved to Whalsay and then Lerwick.<\/p>\n

Photography started as a hobby, but despite being entirely self-taught and working with modest equipment during an era when photography was technically demanding and cumbersome, he became one of Shetland\u2019s finest photographers.<\/p>\n

Exhibitions officer Karen Clubb said Rattar was a pioneer whose work extended far beyond simply recording landscapes.<\/p>\n

\u201cJ.D. Rattar was one of Shetland\u2019s most respected photographers, leaving an extraordinary visual record of the islands and their people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEntirely self-taught, he achieved remarkable success despite working with modest equipment and in often challenging conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cDriven by patience, curiosity and an unwavering commitment to his craft, he travelled the length and breadth of Shetland, his car often carrying a small boat so he could reach remote lochs and capture landscapes from unique viewpoints.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was documenting life in Shetland when few others were doing so. His images feel natural and unposed, and in many ways he was ahead of his time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Katie Hughson, from Whalsay, with a kishie of peats on her back. Photo: J.D. Rattar<\/p>\n

Shetland Museum and Archives said Ratter photographed every aspect of island life, \u201cfrom bustling fishing stations to crofting, textiles, children at play and historic events\u201d.<\/p>\n

It added that he would often go to \u201cextraordinary lengths to achieve the perfect image.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than presenting his work chronologically, A Time to Keep has been arranged thematically, exploring land, sea, work, play, textiles and historic events.<\/p>\n

Shetland Museum and Archives said the exhibition had been designed to take visitors \u201cbeyond photographs on a wall\u201d, with the Gadderie space being transformed with dark grey walls to provide a \u201cstriking backdrop for Rattar\u2019s black and white images\u201d.<\/p>\n

A reconstructed bird hide will also celebrate Rattar\u2019s passion for wildlife photography.<\/p>\n

Shetland museum\u2019s senior curator of collections, Carol Christiansen, said the exhibition encourages visitors to look beyond Rattar\u2019s most familiar photographs.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will recognise some of his most iconic images, including Johnnie Jamieson and the young lass carrying the milk pail in Law Lane, but we\u2019ve also selected portraits that many people won\u2019t immediately recognise as Rattar\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\u201cRattar was operating at so many different levels. One day he might be photographing a tiny newly hatched bird or a nest of eggs, and the next he would be documenting a bomb crater or a shipwreck.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was an explorer of Shetland in every sense \u2013 geographically, culturally and artistically. He noticed something special about these islands and their people and preserved it with extraordinary sensitivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Time to Keep: Celebrating 150 Years of J.D. Rattar opens at Shetland Museum and Archives on Saturday 18 July and runs until 11 October 2026.<\/p>\n

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