Helen talks to Prof. Annebella Pollen - part 1

Helen talks to Prof. Annebella Pollen - part 1

From Women in Focus by British Naturism

January 3, 2026 · 47 min · Episode 26

About this episode

Helen interviews Prof. Annebella Pollen about her research on the visual history of naturism in Britain.

In the first of a two-part conversation, Helen speaks with Professor Annebella Pollen from the University of Brighton, author of Nudism in a Cold Climate . Pollen discusses her decade-long research into the visual history of naturism in Britain, revealing how photography shaped the movement's public identity from the 1920s onwards. The conversation explores a fascinating paradox; whilst magazines like Health and Efficiency once sold hundred's of thousands of copies per issue, featuring idealised bodies of professional models, actual naturist membership numbers were much lower. Pollen explains how early practitioners hid behind pseudonyms to protect their professional reputations, and how the movement's own promotional imagery created tensions between philosophical ideals and practical recruitment. Drawing on archival research conducted during lockdown, she offers an outsider academic perspective that complements lived experiences, examining how naturism has been publicly mediated rather than privately practised. And if you are interested in our BN Ladies Only holiday, we will be heading to Vritomartis in Crete for a week from the 1st June. Email Helen at Women in Focus for…

People in this episode

Host: Helen

Guest: Prof. Annebella Pollen

Topics covered

  • naturism
  • photography
  • public identity
  • historical research
  • membership dynamics

Keywords

  • naturism
  • photography
  • membership
  • historical research
  • public identity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Brighton, Health and Efficiency

Books & works: Nudism in a Cold Climate

Places: Crete

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