Bal maidens, fishwives and carnival queens: meet Fran Rowse’s ‘Cornish Maids’

Fran Rowse graduated from Falmouth University’s Fashion Photography BA(Hons) degree in 2020. Born and raised in Cornwall, her heritage is the inspiration behind her photography project Cornish Maids – a collection of portraits of Cornwall’s young women and girls that aims to confront contemporary ideas of Cornish culture. With a new exhibition in the wings, Fran is now taking the project to the next level.  

Fran Rowse’s Cornish Maids project took flight during her time at Falmouth University and she has since exhibited the work in London, Bristol and Cornwall. She’s also delivered fashion and regional identity workshops for local young women and published a book, which won her numerous awards. 

Although the idea for the Cornish Maids project had been on Fran’s mind for a long time, it was at Falmouth University that she found the resources, support and connections to make it a reality. “I’ve been hugely supported by Falmouth University, both while I was a student and as a graduate. The lecturers used their connections as working professionals outside of the University to help me in my career.” 

I’ve been hugely supported by Falmouth University, both while I was a student and as a graduate. The lecturers used their connections as working professionals outside of the University to help me in my career.

Speaking recently with the BBC, Fran said that the aim for the project was to give a voice to the lives and aspirations of the young women and girls growing up in Cornwall today. "I wanted to show girls where they really live, away from tourism, away from beaches, away from ice cream shops, because that is a façade. Cornwall is one of the most poverty-stricken places in the whole of northern Europe, let's talk about that. How do we fix that? We have a huge amount of food banks, let's talk about that."  

In many of the images the subjects don prom dresses, big hair, jewellery and makeup, set against a backdrop of back alleys, caravans and council flats. This striking contrast is key to Fran’s message about female identity in Cornwall. In an interview with Refinery29, she said: “I want people to look at this work and see the reality of where I live. I want them to see both the ugliness and the beauty, and the different sides of femininity and heritage here.” 

In the same interview, Fran recalls the inspiration behind the concept. “It was the early 2000s and I was watching my friend’s older sisters get ready for prom. In that moment, the space was filled with girls supporting each other, celebrating each other, doing their hair and completely, unashamedly enveloping themselves in femininity and female friendship. I’d never seen anything like it.”