Stanny's Stus: Images of Bedford Physical Training College 6 November 2025 - 31 May 2026 Sir William Harpur Gallery, The Higgins Museum, Bedford. Free admission
BPEOSA are delighted to be working alongside The Higgins Museum and the Arts Council to produce a photographic exhibition which will run for 6 months from November 2025 till May 2026. Located in the Sir William Harpur Gallery at The Higgins, the exhibition will focus on images captured by students and staff who studied in Lansdowne Road between 1903 and 1948.
Many of them were enthusiastic photographers who captured their everyday experiences, documenting aspects of sport, leisure and teaching in Bedfordshire. These photographs offer valuable insights into the social and sporting lives of women in the early 20th century.
Thanks to recent digitisation efforts, these historic images from the Bedford Physical Education Archive will be exhibited publicly for the first time outside of their usual home at the University of Bedfordshire.
Gymnastics and Dance at Bedford - Changing Styles From Ling To Laban
You can view a 9 minute silent film by clicking here which uses footage from the Bedford Physical Education Old Students' Association Archive to illustrate the changes in approach to gymnastics and dance in the twentieth century.
It accompanies the exhibition 'Stanny's Stus: Images of Bedford Physical Training College' at The Higgins, Bedford
Step inside the creation of ‘Stanny’s Stus, Images of Bedford Physical Training College’, a remarkable exhibition hosted at The Higgins Bedford Museum and Art Gallery.
Click here to go behind the scenes and see a video which captures the story behing the exhibition - from inspiration to intallation - celebrating the legacy of Bedfpord Physical Training College and the exhibition curators who bought its history to life.
The Making of ‘Stanny’s Stus – Images of Bedford Physical Training College’
Step inside the creation of ‘Stanny’s Stus, Images of Bedford Physical Training College’, a remarkable exhibition hosted at The Higgins Bedford Museum and Art Gallery.