Mick Hartley

In 1978, at the age of 67, photographer Zofia Rydet set out on her “Sociological Record” project in the Polish countryside, aiming to record rural life as it was at the time, particularly in the regions of Podhale, Upper Silesia and the Suwałki area. She took nearly 20,000 pictures, many of which remained undeveloped when she died in 1997 at the age of 86. It may look like a grim catalogue of rural poverty, but there was nothing condescending about her approach: she relished her meetings with these people, telling them not to smile as it looked forced, but chiding and cajoling them as they grumbled or played along. “I knock on the door, I say ‘hello,’ and I shake hands.”

In exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery.

Rydet was always on the road, with a camera in her hand. For nearly three decades, she photographed people in their homes, still lives, building exteriors and landscapes. She also returned to the same houses several years after she first visited to document the transformation of rural Poland. The result – Sociological Record – is a monumental project and one of the most important achievements in 20th century Polish photography.

“I know some people think I’m hypocritical, self-serving, telling these people they’re beautiful. But I truly see something interesting, beautiful in every person, and I’m captivated by something worth preserving – especially the wonderful human stories I hear during these visits. Each person is a story in itself, some very interesting, some instructive, sometimes moving…”