Eric Huntley; Jessica Elleisse Huntley (née Carroll)
- Artist: Sharon Walters
- Date: 2022
- Medium: Photograph
- Dimensions: 10 5/8 in. x 15 3/4 in. (270 mm x 400 mm) image size
- Portrays: Eric Huntley, Jessica Elleisse Huntley (née Carroll)
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is a photographic montage by Sharon Walters that brings together two moments in the lives of Eric and Jessica Huntley. In the foreground, you see their faces – a close shot of Eric’s thoughtful gaze and the softer profile of Jessica, both drawn from original photos taken by Mervyn Weir and the Huntley archives. The images are layered so that you can almost feel the passage of time between the two portraits; the colors are muted, giving a quiet tone.
Sharon Walters says making this work was “one of my greatest achievements” because she grew up in the Saturday school her grandparents attended. The couple founded Bogle‑L’Ouverture Publications in 1968 – the first black‑led independent publishing house in Britain – and their move from Guyana in the late 1950s and early 1960s shaped that mission.
See it in person
Eric Huntley; Jessica Elleisse Huntley (née Carroll) is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
