‘Sunny Snaps’: A photography competition from the Daily Herald newspaper

These prizewinning photographs from the 1930s were submitted alongside thousands of others and judged by the Daily Herald as part of a contest that ran from 1928 until the 1960s.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winner Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winner (1932)National Science and Media Museum

At the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, we care for the Daily Herald's photographic archive, comprising 3.5 million photographs, contact sheets and glass negatives.

All the quotes in this story were taken from articles published in the Herald.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

Photography for all

With the introduction of roll film, smaller and cheaper cameras, and services to develop your photos in the 20th century, photography moved away from being the preserve of professionals and people with money; more and more people started to document their everyday experiences.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

The snapshot season

In response to this changing landscape, the Daily Herald opened a contest for the public to submit photographs or ‘snaps’ of their holidays. The rules of the contest were outlined in the Daily Herald, including that no professional photographs would be considered.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘The Returning Tide’

Contestants were encouraged to ‘take the jolliest, happiest and brightest pictures’ and focus on capturing the holiday spirit rather than technical skill. Contestants were warned ‘do not be dull. Do not pose your father in the garden and tell him to look happy.’

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘Tea for Two’

The competition ran for several months each year before winners were announced in the autumn, during which the Daily Herald offered advice such as ‘the golden rule is to be sure to have the sun behind you, or on one side so that it does not shine into the lens.’

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘Clever Snap’

Cash prizes were awarded at the end of the competition each year for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place; 1st prize rose from £100 in 1930 to £2,500 in 1935! Smaller prizes were given for photos printed in the newspaper each week; cameras were given as consolation prizes in the early days.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘Sussex Winner’

‘Let your “Sunny snapshots” tell a little story if possible. Let them represent a funny or striking incident of your holiday.’ Mr Whitbread from Sussex entered this snap of old world Dunster in Somerset and won £2 2 shillings.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition judgingNational Science and Media Museum

Director Alfred Hitchcock joined the panel of judges in 1936

A committee of experts was called upon to judge the snaps. They included the managing director of Kodak, president of the Royal Photographic Society, director of Ilford, editor of the magazine Amateur Photographer and the Herald’s art editor Leonard Spooner, among others.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘Miniature Speed Cars’

‘The standard of photographs submitted was exceptionally high and proved conclusively that amateur photographers have never been more enthusiastic and competent. When the time came to make the final selection, the judges spent many hours before arriving at their decision.’

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘The Children’s Hour’

This snap won the first prize of £500 in 1932. It was taken by Mr Vizard from Essex and shows his three children in the evening light. Mr Vizard worked as a cashier at a London bank and took up photography as a hobby.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

Winning snaps on screen

In 1935 Mr Phil Park reproduced winning snaps of the Daily Herald weekly £2 2s prize on the big screen to appropriate melodies. Park was the organist at the Metropole Cinema in Victoria, London and called this feature ‘Musical Snaps’. 

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘Summer Days’

‘Musical Snaps’ was later shown at the Trocadero cinema, Elephant & Castle, by popular broadcast organist Quentin Mclean. The Metropole and Trocadero were designed by notable cinema architect George Coles and opened in 1929 and 1930 respectively. They have since been demolished.

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘In the Dairy’

Mr Jenkins won £2,500 for his 1st prize snap in 1935. The cheque was presented by Fay Wray, film star and photo enthusiast, at the Metropole cinema. He said ‘amateur photographers should not concern themselves too much with the abstract’, preferring to capture ‘slices of life’. 

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

Picture of the year! First prize £2,500 + £500

Mr Done snapped this picture of a friend giving his children a piggyback. ‘He is to be congratulated both on seeing and seizing the opportunity of a snapshot which is an incomparable record of the spirit of happiness.’ The true holiday spirit. 

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘Three Plain, Two Purl’

Mr Done was a hobby photographer and his particular enthusiasm was for human and domestic subjects. He said ‘the subjects that make the best snapshots are oft-times the simplest’ and ‘in spite of winning this mammoth prize... I shall still stick to my bicycle.’

Daily Herald Photograph: Sunny Snaps competition winnerNational Science and Media Museum

‘Ecstasy—with Ice Cream!’

Judges: ‘The competition has been a nation-wide triumph. It has proved conclusively that the British public is picture-minded and that the camera, progressing in popularity by leaps and bounds, has become firmly established as the artistic medium of the people.’

Following popular ‘how-to-take’ articles by Daily Herald photographers Terry Fincher and Phillip Phillips in the early 1960s, the competition evolved to encompass four subjects: People, Pets, Places & Colour. The winner was crowned ‘Amateur Photographer of the year’ and received £200. Cash prizes were also awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd for each subject. The judges wanted ‘originality, vitality, interesting and skilful presentation’ and still emphasised amateur skill over professional equipment.

Credits: Story

All images are from the Science Museum Group collection. Copyright Mirrorpix, Hulton Archive/Getty Images, and TopFoto.

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