Elizabeth Hawes was a remarkable woman who devoted her life to helping others throughout her 42 years as a Soroptimist. “Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement … Advocating for human rights and gender equality.” Her volunteer work during World War II included sponsoring the Vienna Soroptimists to escape from Nazi occupation. Her admirable work from this time was acknowledged by being awarded an M.B.E. in 1946. In 1952 Soroptimists worked alongside the Save the Children Fund to open a play centre in Islington for underprivileged children, which was named Elizabeth House to acknowledge her efforts. Elizabeth was also one of the first women to be a trained optician and this lead to her work as a fellow director within the family business, Alfred Hawes and Son, a dispensing opticians.
This book aims to celebrate her life, the contributions she made to society and the people she supported. I decided to present this information to audiences with the use of storytelling through a series of editorials and documentary style photography. The initial inspiration for this project was the discovery of 47 rolls of cine film that Elizabeth had recorded, dating back to the 1930s and 1940s. I believe it’s important to continue to honour these women and the contributions they made to our society and not let their achievements be forgotten. I have focused on three core elements of Elizabeth’s life in the book: her work as an optician in the family business, Alfred Hawes and Son, her volunteer work and her properties.
In my project, I wanted to acknowledge the current consumerism issues within the fashion cycle and its detrimental impact on our environment today. To restrict my personal impact, we borrowed clothing (including garments from my family), rented items and avoided buying anything new. This aims to show how we can create inspiring imagery using preloved and sustainably conscious brands.
