The winners of the Historic Photographer of the Year Awards 2021 were unveiled today by broadcaster and historian Dan Snow. The awards, which celebrate the best cultural sites and historic places across the globe, attracted a “huge swathe” of submissions from amateurs and professionals alike.
The Overall Winner is Steve Liddiard for his shot of the Whiteford Point Lighthouse in the Gower Peninsula, south Wales (above).
The Historic England category was won by Sam Binding’s atmospheric view of Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, captured during a misty sunrise, above.
Meanwhile the Where History Happened category went to Iain McCallum for his picture of the wrecks of the Wastdale H and Arkendale H, which collided in the River Severn in October 1960 (above)
Commenting on the awards, judge Dan Snow said: “The wonderful entries we’ve seen highlight both the immense heritage that surrounds us, along with the often precarious and fragile nature of some of our most precious locations of cultural value. The awards demonstrate the huge dedication that entrants often go to when trying to capture that perfect shot, whether rising in the dead of night to capture the perfect sunrise or climbing, hiking and trekking their way to discover far flung places from our past.”
Beyond the UK, shortlisted entries captured historical locations ranging from Uzbekistan’s Shah-i-Zinda mausoleum (below) and the Atomic Dome in Hiroshima, Japan (above), to Paestum’s ancient Temple of Hera which dates back to 460 BC.
Entries were judged on originality, composition and technical proficiency alongside the story behind the submission and its historical impact. Another judge, Claudia Kenyatta, Director of Regions at Historic England said: “it’s been wonderful to see so many high-quality entries again this year, particularly given the challenges and restrictions faced by the photographers.”
“(The quality of the entries) was perhaps all the more poignant and redolent for the fact that there has been so much restriction, constraint and hardship for so many over the past couple of years,” said Dan Korn of Sky HISTORY, another sponsor. “But to see some of the wonderful work on display here and the iconic and significant sites from around the world captured so vividly was a sign that history and humanity are very much alive in all their splendour in 2021.”
See the full list of winners here: www.historicphotographeroftheyear.com | Instagram.com/historicphotographeroftheyear | @hpotyawards
