The magazine of the photo-essay
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film maker
by Janet Holmes
How do we decide which animals are family and which are food?
Why are we surprised to see a rooster gazing out the kitchenwindow or a hen helping with
homework? After all, chickens are present in many homes, as flesh and eggs, but not as
individuals with personalities of their own.
In early 2017, photographer Janet Holmes met a hen suffering from reproductive illness at
the Wild Bird Fund in NewYork City, where she volunteered as a caregiver. During her search
to find a permanent home for the hen after she was discharged from the Fund’s clinic, Janet
Holmes discovered a network of people who turn their homes into sanctuaries forrescued chickens. She decided to
make portraits of the chickens and their rescuers to honour both the birds who had suffered so much before their
rescue and the people who invested so much love, time, and money caring for them.
“I’ve always loved animals, but for many yearsI was afraid to get involved with rescuing them because I didn’t think I could handle
the heartbreak. I was almost fifty when I finally acknowledged that animals needed me more than I needed to be comfortable.
And so I began volunteering with rescue groups as a caregiver and photographer.” JH
Published by Kehrer Verlag
Valencia Jayne
© Janet Holmes
Jon Snow
© Janet Holmes
Penelope, Vanessa, Alicia, and Jenny
© Janet Holmes
Corrie and Mahika
© Janet Holmes
Chicago Chicken Rescue
© Janet Holmes
Colleen and Friend
© Janet Holmes
Winnie
© Janet Holmes
Pearl and Rachel
© Janet Holmes
Emily and Jenny
© Janet Holmes
Josie and Rachel
© Janet Holmes