The Great Yorkshire Show 2010 and Gallery

I was lucky enough this year to be working alongside the Kate Mallander as one of the two official photographers at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate. I have worked at the show before in the role of press photographer for the Northern Echo but this is the first time I’ve actually photographed the show for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. I just thought as I am looking back through earlier work I’d take the opportunity of putting some of my favourites on this blog….

It's hard work photographing a large event like the Great Yorkshire Show. With the site being as big you certainly get sore fee by the end of the three days.

It's been a fixture in the agricultural calendar for over 150 years but how did the Great Yorkshire Show start?

In October 1837 the 3rd Earl Spencer held a meeting with other leading agriculturalists to discuss the future of the farming industry.

The result of the meeting was the foundation of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

Their focus would be on improving agriculture and hosting a show of excellence each year.

Great Yorkshire Show travel advice
The first Yorkshire Show took place in 1838 at Fulford near York. Early attendance figures suggest that it became a popular event very early on, with over 6,000 people attending the 1842 show, which was held in York. In recent years the show regularly attracts crowds in excess of a 130,000.

For a century the Great Yorkshire Show moved around the whole of Yorkshire but in 1950 the decision was taken to develop a permanent showground and the Harrogate site was purchased.

DOUG JACKSON undertakes commissions for event and PR photography and also advertising and commercial work.