Portraits of 100 of the most influential women will be on display in Newmarket this month as the decade-long project is released to the public.

Ely Standard: Jade Jones - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINJade Jones - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)

Photographer Anita Corbin made a name for herself in the early 1980s when her series of informal young women portraits, named Visible Girls, quickly became well known.

Anita then went on to start photographing “ordinary women achieving extraordinary things” in sport, media, businesses, the military, arts, music and politics – creating 100 First Women.

She has shot the likes of Baroness Betty Boothroyd, the first woman speaker at the House of Commons, Angela Rippon, newscaster and Jenny Éclair, writer and comedienne.

Ely Standard: Baroness Betty Boothroyd - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINBaroness Betty Boothroyd - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)

All of the framed pictures will be on display at Palace House in Newmarket from Thursday, February 14 to Monday, June 10.

The exhibition was created in 2018 to mark the centenary commemoration of the Representation of the People Act, which granted the vote to women over 30-years old.

Anita said: “From ages 18 to 102-years-old and in fields of expertise covering everything from beatboxing to bomb detection, I wanted to create a visual story of female potential.

Ely Standard: Nicola Adams - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINNicola Adams - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)

“They are all fantastic role models that will hopefully inspire other women and men, of all generations, now and in the future.

“I hope that my series will inspire future generations and help them see that it is possible to break down barriers whether they are gender, social, economic, cultural or political.”

Also featured in the project is Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, Nicola Adams, professional boxer, Suzi Quatro, singer-songwriter and Hayley Turner, jockey.

Ely Standard: TV's Angela Rippon - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINTV's Angela Rippon - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)

Anita added: “I created these images to offer emotional support to women who seek to be the best they can be. Those women are not alone.”

In theme with the exhibition’s venue, there are plenty of sportswomen featured – from jockey’s Charlotte Budd, the first woman to ride in the Grand National and Ann Packer, the first UK woman to win a track gold medal at the Olympics.

Chris Garibaldi, director of Palace House, said: “We like to give the public fresh glimpses into our sporting and cultural past, present and indeed, future.

Ely Standard: One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin (pictured) named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINOne hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin (pictured) named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)

“From a personal point of view Baroness Boothroyd is one of my own particular heroes so I couldn’t be prouder that we are hosting such an inspirational exhibition as 100 First Women Portraits here at Newmarket.”

Ely Standard: Dany Cotton - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINDany Cotton - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)

Ely Standard: Clare Smyth - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINClare Smyth - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)

Ely Standard: Beth French - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINBeth French - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)

Ely Standard: Alison Deburgh - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBINAlison Deburgh - One hundred women are featured in the decade-long portrait project by Anita Corbin named 100 First Women Portraits. Picture(s): ANITA CORBIN (Image: ANITA CORBIN)