Hello everyone, I am trying to locate anyone with knowledge of the work of Ivan Osbourne. He was a photographic tutor at what was North Staffordshire Polytechnic from the mid to late 1970s. He worked with Course Director Cal Swann on the Multi-Disciplinary design course. Unfortunately he died in a car accident in the United States, I believe in the summer of 1979 while working at Purdue University. I was a student of his at Stoke on Trent and would like to make contact with someone who may have access to his work so that it might be possible to get his work shown and accessible for research. I have drawn a blank on simple internet searches. David Martin
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Dear Dr Martin, I have a framed photo given to me by my friend Kenneth Lawson which might be by Osbourne.. Ken (died 2008) was a painter and designer who assisted the then famous artist Graham Sutherland tackle his offering for the 1951 Festival of Britain, 'Origins'. He eventually headed the design department at the BBC in Manchester and was a good friend of Harry Goodwin. The photo in question is a B&W close-up of quarry spoil topped and centred by a single pale cumulus cloud in what is obviously an otherwise blue sky. It's attached to a typically 70s broad textured mount in a slim silver frame.. On the reverse, in Ken's hand is written 'Lawson BBC, Welsh Slate Quarry by Ivan Osborne'. Ken's spelling was often a bit wayward so I wondered if this was your man. Kind regards John Pegg
Hi David,
I worked with Ivan and Cal in the early 1970s and doubt very much if anyone at North Staffs Poly (Staffs Uni) can help despite that being an obvious first call. May I suggest that the partner of Matt Bunn (matt.bunn@nottinghamcollege.ac.uk) holds a senior position responsible for photographic studies and maybe worth contacting. At the suggestion of mine he contacted Jack Welpott and later got a teaching job in the California through him - better weather and more exciting than Stoke or Whitchurch - and got married to an American, but before fully enjoying his new life he had the fatal car crash. A very interesting character and image maker, as you know....
PS I mention Whitchurch as his first wife and kids may still be there....
Paul hi Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. He certainly was an interesting person and an incredible photographer. He had a huge influence on me, I have one of his landscape prints from Mount Tamalpais (?) and he chose one of mine (proud moment). I would love to have sight of any of his work that survives, and maybe curate something with it. Do you have any names for his first or second wives at all? Also is it possible to converse privately rather than on this open forum? My email is possibly@btinternet.com