Wakefield Museums and Castles

An early selfie! Jack Hulme was ahead of his time, taking this self-portrait aged 14 in 1920.

Jack Hulme grew up in the pit village of Fryston, near Castleford. He became a miner but an injury meant he had to leave the pit. Instead, he worked as the local hairdresser and became a keen amateur photographer.

In this early photo, he used a Kodak Box Brownie camera. This simple and affordable model of camera brought photography to the masses. Later, Jack's wife bought him a Leica camera and he started to capture everyday life in his neighbourhood.