Information about Arts Council photographic exhibtions between 1946 to 1969

[Peter Stevens]

Hi,

Can anyone help on this ?

I writing an essay and found a mention on one site as follows :
 

"In post war Britain, between 1946 to 1969 the Arts Council only funded three photography exhibitions."

Can anyone give me more information about this  or where I can find more information ?

Thanks _Peter.

[Michael Wong]

One that springs to mind is the Masterpieces of Victorian Photography in 1952 based on the Gernsheim Collection. You are in luck as I think the original catalogue is for sale on ebay (Item number: 120489275349). The others are 'A Centenary Exhibition of the Work of David Octavius Hill & Robert Adamson' and 'From Today Painting is Dead - The Beginnings of Photography', but they were held in 1970 & 1972 respectively. If I think of the other two, will drop a note here again.
Alternatively, try giving the Arts Council a call - I'm sure they can check their past exhibition records. Good luck !

[Peter Stevens]

Many thanks for the information. _P

[Harriet Merry]

Hello Peter,
I came across a reference to an ACGB touring exhibition of John Heartfield's photomontages in 1969 if that's any use. It's mentioned in David Mellor's 'No Such Thing as Society'.
Harriet

[Peter Stevens]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

Thats one of the cross references I found as well but I appreciate you taking time to contact me.

Regards

_peter.

Harriet Merry said:

Hello Peter,
I came across a reference to an ACGB touring exhibition of John Heartfield's photomontages in 1969 if that's any use. It's mentioned in David Mellor's 'No Such Thing as Society'. Harriet

[William Messer]

The last of these may have been The Art of the Real Exhibition: Photography at the Hayward in 1969. There may have been a Bill Brandt retrospective a couple years earlier, or maybe not until 1970; but I thought the first of these came from MoMA in NYC. I wonder whether his London Blitz pictures were shown by the ACGB earlier. I'm thinking Paul Nash's photographs are a possibility too. I'm curious as to what you eventually learn as to which are the three.

[Damian Hughes]

I have just posted a request for information on photo-exhibitions in Britain 1940-1970. Did you find the information you were looking for on Arts Council exhibitions? Or any others of the same period?
If so, I would be really grateful for whatever information you can let me have.
Thanks. Damian.

[Peter Stevens]

Hi Damian,

I'm not sure if you see all replies on this thread, as I found them useful to confirm information I was already following up on.

I've attached a copy of the final essay, it doesn't cover all of your time frame but it might save you some time if you checkout my references at the back of the essay.

Regards _Peter.



Damian Hughes said:

I have just posted a request for information on photo-exhibitions in Britain 1940-1970. Did you find the information you were looking for on Arts Council exhibitions? Or any others of the same period?
If so, I would be really grateful for whatever information you can let me have.
Thanks. Damian.

[Peter Stevens]

Hi,

Sorry for not replying sooner, thank you for the information.

Regards _P.



William Messer said:

The last of these may have been The Art of the Real Exhibition: Photography at the Hayward in 1969. There may have been a Bill Brandt retrospective a couple years earlier, or maybe not until 1970; but I thought the first of these came from MoMA in NYC. I wonder whether his London Blitz pictures were shown by the ACGB earlier. I'm thinking Paul Nash's photographs are a possibility too. I'm curious as to what you eventually learn as to which are the three.

[Michael Pritchard]

The National Art Library at the V&A houses the Arts Council archives: http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/wid/ead/acgb/acgbf.html

Michael Pritchard

[Damian Hughes]

Thanks for this Peter



Peter Stevens said:

Hi Damian,

I'm not sure if you see all replies on this thread, as I found them useful to confirm information I was already following up on.

I've attached a copy of the final essay, it doesn't cover all of your time frame but it might save you some time if you checkout my references at the back of the essay.

Regards _Peter.



Damian Hughes said:

I have just posted a request for information on photo-exhibitions in Britain 1940-1970. Did you find the information you were looking for on Arts Council exhibitions? Or any others of the same period?
If so, I would be really grateful for whatever information you can let me have.
Thanks. Damian.

[Matthew Mawson]

Paul Nash 1948 Memorial photography exhibition was Arts Council - I can't remember where it was held but it was a major exhibition.