York Camera Club exhibition: A story set in stone

The photographs in the exhibition show off the stonework collection

Photographs of some of the Yorkshire Museum's star objects form part of an exhibition so people can still see them while the museum is closed for refurbishment.

The talented members of York Camera Club have captured the highlights of the museum's stonework collection for the show, entitled Beliefs in Reliefs: A story set in stone.

The photographs are on display in the fascinating surroundings of Holy Trinity Church on Goodramgate. It is run by the Churches Conservation Trust which also looks after some spectacular monumental and sculptural artefacts.

The photographs are on display in the historic Holy Trinity church in York

Martin Watts, director of learning at the museum, says: "This is an incredible selection of photographs that show off our stonework collection brilliantly.

"Their use of angles and light present these ancient engravings and sculptures to us in a new way and you can see things that maybe before you had missed.

"The exhibition is the perfect opportunity for visitors to the city to enjoy these artefacts while the museum is being refurbished and to discover one of York's hidden gems, the beautiful Holy Trinity Church."

The club members spent an evening at the museum before it closed to take the pictures. Among the items photographed is the Roman statue of Mars and stonework from the Viking and Anglo Saxons.

That in itself presented challenges to the photographers, as Eileen Blackeby from York Camera Club explains:

"Part of the problem is that the light at the museum isn't terribly good, which is what they're trying to address with the re-fit and also trying to get an image with nothing else in the background so we had to try all different angles. One of our members even brought a ladder to get the picture of Mars!"

The venue was chosen with the aim of inspiring visitors to explore the monumental and sculptural heritage in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

Dawn Lancaster from the trust says they're happy to host exhibitions like this:

Photographing the stonework presented a challenge

"Holy Trinity church is one of 342 churches looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust and it's a fantastic medieval church with box pews.

"One of the key things with the trust and our work here is to encourage local community groups and visitors not only just to come in and see the church, but where possible to get involved with putting up exhibitions and making the church more useful to the community."

The club members have produced so many good images that the pictures on show will be changed through the duration of the exhibition, which is free and runs until the end of March 2010.