Drawn from the extensive private collection of the architectural photographer Steven Evans, Seeking Solace: Francis Bedford’s Framing of Victorian Ideals celebrates the work of English photographer Francis Bedford (1816–1894).  

A master draughtsman and lithographer in the 1840s and 1850s, Bedford took up photography and positioned himself as one of the premier landscape and architectural photographers of his time. He successfully marketed his photographs in the form of albums, stereo cards, cartes de visite, and prints and was included in all but two exhibitions held at the Photographic Society of London during the 1860s. His work comprised picturesque landscapes and ecclesiastical ruins found in the British countryside, as well as impressive cathedral architecture. These subjects suited the tastes of Victorian society, which sought solace within the countryside, away from over-crowded and unhealthy urban centres. Seeking Solace presents this theme in the first solo exhibition of Bedford’s work since the 1860s, introducing this photographer to a North American audience.

The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated publication. Both the exhibition and the publication were researched and produced by second-year, graduate students in the Photographic Preservation and Collections Management, Master of Arts programme, Ryerson University, under the direction of Professor David Harris. Over the course of a twelve-week term, the students learn about the researching and curating exhibitions and producing an accompanying publication, from inception to realization. The Howard and Carole Tanenbaum Family Charitable Foundation and the Ryerson Image Centre have generously supported the project. The exhibition will be on view at the I.M.A Gallery, located at 80 Spadina Avenue, from April 4th–28th. An opening reception will be held on April 5th from 6–9 pm.

I.M.A Gallery, 80 Spadina Avenue Suite 305, Toronto ON, Canada

www.imagallery.ca

April 4^th-28^th, 2012, W-S: 12-5 pm.

Opening Reception: April 5^th, 6-9 pm. 

Image: Francis Bedford

Miner’s Bridge at Betws-y-Coed, North Wales

1859 (negative exposed)

Mounted albumen silver print

Image: Francis Bedford

Swallow Falls at Betws-y-Coed, North Wales

1859–1864 (negative exposed)

Unmounted albumen silver print

Image: Francis Bedford

Choir Arcade at Tintern Abbey, South Wales

1858 (negative exposed)

Mounted albumen silver print

Image: Francis Bedford

The Sphinx and The Great Pyramid, Gizeh [now Giza]

March 4-5, 1862 (negative exposed)

Mounted albumen silver print

Redeye is proud to present its fourth National Photography Symposium on 27 to 29 April 2012. It takes place in London as part of what promises to be a highly stimulating hotbed of photographic events at World Photo London.

The National Photography Symposium explores the most critical and talked-about subjects for photography and photographers. It's strongly recommended for anyone interested in the development of photography in the UK, who might want to understand or influence how the big decisions get made. It takes place in and around Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Speakers this year include Simon Norfolk, Jem Southam, Anne McNeill, Peter Kennard and many more.

For more information and the full programme see: http://www.redeye.org.uk/programme/national-photography-symposium-2012

The first programme in the short series Britain's First Photo Album airs tonight on BBC2. Full information can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00nh3h3 

Robert Elwall, Assistant director of the RIBA’s British Architectural Library, and the founder and curator of the RIBA Library Photographs Collection and RIBApix collapsed and died suddenly after a short illness. Robert had been continuing to work on various projects at RIBA.

Robert was a great writer of books and papers on photography and architecture in its broadest sense. A number of his articles are collected here: http://www.culture24.org.uk/am69854  He will be sorely missed. 

Minnie Weisz's first London collodion wet-plate photography workshops were taught by France Scully Osterman and Mark Osterman in 2009/2010. Following in the footsteps of Frederick Scott Archer, the inventor of the collodion process in 1851, our 2012 weekend workshops are led by Jo Gane and John Brewer, experts in the field of 19th Century Photographic processes in the UK.

Learn to make unique images direct onto glass, aluminium and acrylic. Create portrait and still life images in the studio. Join our Collodion circle in King’s Cross.

There are just two places left for each weekend : 17th/18th - 24th/25th - 31st/1st April  - with each taking 6 people. The studio is offering a 10% discount for students. Weekend workshops are £320 for 2 days tuition, hands-on approach, making at least 7 plates each per workshop weekend.

HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES - MARCH 2012. 

MINNIE WEISZ STUDIO,  123 PANCRAS ROAD KING’S CROSS NW1 1UN

Click here to learn more:  Historic%20Photographic%20Processes_workshop_preview2.pdf.

The National Media Museum's In the Blink of an Eye Media & Movement exhibition opens from 9 March. Featuring classic images and new commission work the show is part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. One of the new works can be seen here: 

The exhibition has been curated by Colin Harding and runs until 2 September 2012. For more information: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/PlanAVisit/Exhibitions/Future.aspx

Purpose of the Job: Delivers the work for the NMSI Collections Information team at the National Media Museum and National Railway Museum in accordance with policies, procedures, data standards and best practice

• creates and enhances the primary and authoritative collections record

• undertakes collections projects

Key Deliverables/Accountabilities

1. Takes care of personal health and safety and that of others, reports and takes action to resolve any health and safety concerns

2. Undertakes Collections Management administration tasks adhering to procedures and data standards for Acquisition, Damage, Disposals, Inventory, Loans (including loans in, loans out, indemnities, insurance, security checks and historic loans), Location Audit, Location & Movement Control, Loss and Object Catalogue upgrade.

3. Creates and enhances an authoritative collections record to ensure that NMSI is accountable for its collections and collections information. Follows procedures to ensure NMSI fulfils legal responsibilities for Due Diligence and Immunity from Seizure. Assists with a programme of data cleaning and building up of authority files to optimise the usefulness of the MIMSY XG object database and iBase image database.

4. Supports and delivers creative offerings, such as web and exhibition projects, to increase access to the collections to achieve the aims of the Science, Media and Railway brands. Contributes to the delivery of NMSI business objectives in line with collections management best practice as outlined in the MLA Accreditation standard.

5. Works with objects to record object and condition data, particularly for projects that involve object movement such as exhibitions, loans (including couriering) and gallery decants. Ensures that information and object movements are properly documented and recorded in accordance with policy. Undertakes record photography. Facilitates object assessment so that the collections can be rationalised and utilised effectively.

6. Documents hazardous materials and objects to ensure that the museum manages them, operates safely and complies with Health & Safety legislation.

7. Provides help, advice and training for all database users that conforms to best practice and follows established procedures. Assists with the revision of procedures, policies and protocols and development of the database. Assists with object and documentation enquiries (internal and external) and the provision of statistical data.

8. Assists with the scoping of Volunteer projects. Supervises volunteers working on Documentation projects and monitors their work and outputs.

Working Relationships and Contacts

• NMSI Collections Information Manager for direction, guidance and support

• Head of Corporate & Collections Information (senior line manager) for direction, guidance and support

• NMSI Collections Information Officers in Corporate & Collections Information team (co-workers)

• NMSI Corporate Information & Enquiries Officer (files)

• Conservation and Collections Care, including Collections Hazards Officer (object handling, preventative care, hazards), Storage and Movement (Logistics) teams (object and manual handling)

• Science Museum Photo Studio & Imaging team (photographs; copyright and IPR)

• Curators/Curatorial Services (stakeholders)

• Exhibitions and Development teams (exhibitions/temporary exhibitions at all sites)

• Workshops (specialist assistance with objects at NRM and ScM)

• Donors, vendors, lenders and borrowers

• Arts Council England - Indemnity Manager and Security Officer

• Shipping Agents

• Volunteer Co-ordinator (recruitment of volunteers)

• Volunteers and interns (supervision whilst working on Documentation projects)

• Other Project Directors and Managers, as appropriate

Line Management and Budget Responsibility

Directly line manages: 0

Indirectly line manages: 0

Contractors/freelancers: 0

Budget Holder of £ 0

Candidate Profile

Experience

• Experience in documenting collections including collections registration and object cataloguing

• Experience of handling museum objects

• Experience of using collections management procedures

• Experience of using a collections database, e.g. MIMSY XG

• Experience of using Authority files and thesauri

Skills, Knowledge and Relevant Qualifications

• Knowledge of the procedures for documenting museum collections including application of data standards

• Excellent written and oral communication and information sharing skills

• Ability to plan and schedule programmes of work and activities to ensure a timely delivery of the team’s work programme

• Ability to meet tight deadlines whilst maintaining agreed standards

• Ability to work to an excellent standard of accuracy, particularly when creating database records

• Good problem-solving skills

Behaviours

• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills

• Pays meticulous attention to detail

• Ability to use judgement and make decisions within policy and precedent

• Supportive and collaborative team working style

• Ability to follow procedures and protocols consistently

• Actively explores ideas for improvement

• Takes pride in delivering work to a high standard

• Uses initiative

Scope for Impact

The National Museum of Science & Industry Collections Information team ensures and delivers best practice collections documentation and management activities, policies and procedures which support our ownership of the collections and underpin our status as a national museum; thereby enabling the Science Museum, The National Railway Museum and The National Media Museum to deliver the public offer. It ensures that each museum meets the MLA Accreditation Scheme requirements.

As a member of the NMSI Collections Information team the jobholder contributes to the delivery of core functions which underpin the programme of, acquisitions, loans in and out, exhibitions (real and virtual), gallery clearances, audits and efficient management of the collections. Failures in this area could jeopardise the achievement of major projects (including the Corporate Plan and Business Plan) and objectives and lead to regulatory lapses and potential legal and/or financial liability.

Please note:

• This job description is not exhaustive and amendments and additions may be required in line with future changes in policy, regulation or organisational requirements, it will be reviewed on a regular basis.

• This role is subject to a Disclosure Scotland basic criminal record check

Required Skills:

National Media Museum, Bradford

Collections Information Officer

21 hours per week Salary £16,605 pro rata

23 months fixed term contract

The Corporate & Collections Information team is seeking a committed and experienced individual to work with our collections while delivering the highest standards in collections registration and documentation practice.

You will be based at the National Media Museum and play a key role in developing and maintaining the primary record of the collections across NMSI’s family of museums.

You will have previous experience of working on a collections registration, documentation or inventory project, and object handling in a museum or gallery setting. You will have demonstrable knowledge of relevant standards and procedures.

You will work with objects to record object and ensure information, hazardous materials and object movements are properly documented and recorded.

You will be self-motivated, very organised and able to work under pressure while maintaining a thorough attention to detail. You will be an excellent team player and an effective communicator. You will have a high level of computer literacy and experience of using a collections management database, such as MIMSY XG, and Microsoft Office applications.

For further information about NMSI, details on how to apply and a full job description, please visit https://vacancies.nmsi.ac.uk

Job Description:

NMSI Job Description

Salary: £16,605 p.a.

Reference CIO/12

Closing date: 19 March 2012

Interview date: 29 March 2012

Application Instructions:

To apply, please visit our recruitment websire https://vacancies.nmsi.ac.uk

Closing date is 19th March 2012 with interviews only being held on 29th March 2012.

Contact Name:                   Mrs Elizabeth Sloan van Wyk

Contact Tel:         01904686249

Contact Fax:        

Contact Email:    recruitment@nmsi.ac.uk

Website:                https://vacancies.nmsi.ac.uk

Address:                National Media Museum, Pictureville, Bradford, BD1 1NQ.

Source magazine reports that Charlotte Cotton is resigning from her position as Creative Director for London Galleries at the National Media Museum, a position she took up in October 2009 (see:http://britishphotohistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/uk-exclusive-cha...). The Galleries called MediaSpace have been beset with delays and difficulties with raising funds and are currently due to open at London’s Science Museum in March 2013. In a conversation this evening a source close to the museum has explained to BPH that Cotton had stepped down as she feels that the work she was asked to do in terms of establishing the vision for MediaSpace had been completed and she felt it was time to move on. There is further substantive and exciting news which BPH will be in a position to report on early next week.  

There have been tensions between Cotton's view as articulated in various seminars and the National Media Museum's broader view. Cotton developed the MediaSpace concept as a venue which represented, and employed, a wide range of media which was a change from the previous plan for a temporary exhibition gallery, mainly used to show photography. The current plans are to showcase material from the Bradford-based museum's collections in London and to use the temporary exhibition area to show exhibitions which would then move to Bradford, as well as showing Bradford exhibitions in London.  Cotton also specified that the proposal was for a space which operated for ten years and embraced the situation of the gallery in the Science Museum rather than in an art institution. Work has recently started on adapting the space although significant fundraising is still required to complete the project. 

However, after delivering her blueprint for the Media Space in December 2009 the project increasingly ran into difficulties. In April 2010 Board members expressed their ‘strong concerns about the budget of the overall project and its feasibility’.

The Museum is currently recruiting for a new Head to replace Colin Philpott who leaves in April. The post is being downgraded from Director and will report directly to the Deputy Director of the Science Museum. The Science Museum is keen to establish closer operational ties to the National Media Museum as the MediaSpace project develops - a project that the Science Museum had initial reservations about - and to ensure it comes to fruition.  

Cotton has declined to comment to Source. The Science Museum and National Media Museum would not confirm the news and were referring all enquiries to Brunswick the PR agency for MediaSpace which has been unavailable for comment to BPH.

See: http://source.ie/sourcephoto/?p=737 for the full report. '

Amateur Photographer magazine carries a further report on Cotton's departure: http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Media_Space_director_did_not_quit_over_funds_claim_museum_chiefs_news_311739.html

The National Museum of Science and Industry today confirms that its media galleries will open in spring 2013. The Media Space will be sited on 2nd floor of the Science Museum and it will consist of a breathtaking gallery for the exhibition of visual media surrounded by cultural spaces for exploring, discussing, testing and exhibiting creative technologies. The project will cost £4 million and is the fruit of the partnership between the Science Museum and the National Media Museum.

Commenting on the announcement, Ian Blatchford Director, National Museum of Science and Industry said “Establishing a home for creative practice and the creative industries in one of London’s most vibrant and innovative spaces has long been our ambition and I am pleased to see it realised. The National Media Museum’s world class exhibitions and collections will be a fantastic new offer for our visitors.”

Charlotte Cotton will step down as the Creative Director of the space from March 2012 having developed the curatorial vision for the space.

Heather Mayfield said, “Working with Charlotte has been an enlightening and inspirational experience. We are privileged to have worked with one of the finest curatorial minds in the fields of photography & the wider media.”

Charlotte Cotton said, “Bringing this vision into reality alongside the Science and National Media Museum teams has been a pleasure. I look forward to its opening in 2013.” 

A collection of 84 glass lantern slides dating from the early part of the twentieth century has been donated to Bath & North East Somerset Council. The photographs depict various scenes in and around Bath including Prior Park, Bath Abbey, the Guildhall and the Botanical Gardens. They are thought to have been taken around 1905, possibly by a surveyor with an interest in Bath's architecture who was engaged in work at Prior Park, the Assembly Rooms and the Guildhall.

They were donated to the Council’s Library Service by a local family who were keen to see them preserved for the future, and to give more people the opportunity to see these fragile images. The slides are now part of the Bath Local Studies Collection housed at Bath Library. The images from each slide can be seen on the Bath In Time Website at www.bathintime.co.uk.

Councillor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “We are delighted that this fantastic collection now forms part of the Local Studies collection and that the images can be appreciated by everyone via the Bath in Time website. Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Library Service continues to play a vital role in ensuring that the story of our local area is preserved, made accessible and understood by everyone.”   

The Council is always pleased to receive donations of material connected with the history of Bath and North East Somerset. Please contact Libraries@bathnes.gov.uk or call Council Connect on 01225 394041.

The Whitehouse Collection held by the Ruskin Foundation at the Ruskin Library contains 125 Daguerreotypes – one-off plates using the first popular process of permanent photography.  The third display in a series of four, this focuses on the Swiss scenes.  John Ruskin travelled to the French and Swiss Alps more often than any other place in Europe, from a childhood visit in 1833, when he was just fourteen, to a few days on the return from his last continental trip in 1888.

His favourite places were Chamonix, where he found perfect mountain scenery, and the towns of Lucerne on its lake, hilly Fribourg, and Rheinfelden with its bridge over the river Rhine.   An early devotee of the Daguerreotype, Ruskin had acquired his own camera by 1849 and made some 40 Swiss subjects before 1858, of which 23 are now in the Ruskin Library.  These are being shown alongside drawings, watercolours, letters and diaries complementing each subject – sometimes exactly, as in the watercolour of the Mer de Glace at Chamonix and drawings of Fribourg.

On show: 16 January-15 April 2012 at the Ruskin Library, University of Lancaster

See: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/ruskinlib/Pages/beautiful.html

Opening times: Gallery: Monday-Friday 10am-4pm - during Exhibitions (closed weekends and Bank Holidays)

Of unconnected - but related interest - is the collection of daguerreotypes purchased in 2006 be Ken Jacobson which are the subject of a forthcoming book see: http://www.jacobsonphoto.com/news/viewnews.html?id=20 and the original news report of the £75,000 sale: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1514218/Mystery-photographs-part-of-Ruskin-collection.html

I've read with interest the Guardian article of last Thursday on the incredible story of the photographic collections of Tate and V&A, and also your comment on British Photographic History (http://britishphotohistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/tate-s-scandalous-rubbish).

As director of the Photo Library of an art historical research institute (a German institution with seat in Florence) working also theoretically on photo archives, I would like to draw your attention to the "Florence Declaration - Recommendations for the Preservation of Analogue Photo Archives" (see link below).

To the many reasons that were mentioned in the article and in the blog, why throwing away such photographic holdings is an unforgivable crime against the scientific community and the entire society, I would like to add some new research perspectives on photographs and photo archives as material objects that cannot be substituted by digital surrogates. These new studies go beyond the disciplinary borders of art history and see photographs and archives as research objects on their own.

The "Florence Declaration" aims at an integration between the analogue format and the digital format, which only can guarantee the correct conservation of the photographic heritage for future studies and at the same time the implementation of digital instruments.

Here you can find the text of the Florence Declaration (in 5 languages) and the list of subscribers:
http://www.khi.fi.it/en/photothek/florencedeclaration/index.html

It would be very supportive if you and other members of British Photographic History would sign the "Florence Declaration" and help us to spread it! As facts are showing, a greater and more widespread understanding of the inescapable value of analogue photographs and archives for the future of research is a primary need!

With best regards,
Costanza Caraffa

On the Florentine Photo Library, its projects and publications:
http://www.khi.fi.it/en/photothek/index.html
http://www.khi.fi.it/en/photothek/projekte/index.html
http://www.khi.fi.it/en/publikationen/imandorli/mandorli_Photo_Archives/index.html

Applications are invited for a three year full time PhD, working within the Irish Photobook research project in the School of Art and Design. The project focus is the representation of Ireland through photographic publishing. The project team; Paul Seawright, Donovan Wylie and Martin Parr will supervise the research. The Irish PhotoBook project develops Parr and Badger's internationally acclaimed work on the history of the Photobook, using their methodology to evaluate the development of Irish Photography. Seawright and Wylie are key figures in Irish photography and have long standing research interests in both the representation of Ireland and the photographic book. Plans are in place for a major exhibition and publication in partnership with the Photo Ireland Photography Festival and the Gallery of Photography, Dublin and the creation of a special book collection at Ulster. The successful candidate will play a key role in the project and we welcome research proposals that develop a body of research within this framework.

Project Title /Subtitle         

The Photo Book in Ireland

Supervisor 1     Professor Paul Seawright

School of Art and Design, Faculty of Art Design and the Built Environment.

Research Institute Art and Design.

Supervisor 2      Donovan Wylie

School of Art and Design, Faculty of Art Design and the Built Environment.

Research Institute Art and Design.

Adviser

Professor Martin Parr

PRIORITY RESEARCH DEGREE TOPICS

The Research Institute Art and Design and the Faculty of Art and Design and the Built Environment Research Graduate School advertises priority topics on which applications for research degrees are particularly invited. Applications may be for full time or part time study.

The recruitment process often co-coincides with recruitment to research degree studentships managed by the University. These are normally full time.
Applications are also welcomed from students who are self funding or who are applying for other external studentships, grants, bursaries and awards.

While priority topics are advertised, applications on topics proposed by the applicant are also considered where there is supervisory capacity and relevant resources. Applicants are advised to discuss this with the head of the Faculty of Art Design and Built Environment Research Graduate School.

Undertaking a research degree is significant commitment.  Applicants may contact the potential supervisor of the priority topic for clarification during the development of their application. There is no requirement to do so and applicants who do not do so are not penalised.


APPLICATION

Applications are normally submitted online.

https://srssb.ulster.ac.uk/PROD/bwskalog.P_DispChoices <https://srssb.ulster.ac.uk/PROD/bwskalog.P_DispChoices>

Information for prospective research degree students, including application forms, can also be found on the university Web pages
http://research.ulster.ac.uk/info/status/prospective.html <http://research.ulster.ac.uk/info/status/prospective.html>

Professor Neil Hewitt heads the Research Graduate School (RGS) of the Faculty of Art Design and Built Environment.
http://www.adbe.ulster.ac.uk/schools/graduate_school/ <http://www.adbe.ulster.ac.uk/schools/graduate_school/>;

The Research Institute Art and Design (RIAD) Director is Professor Karen Fleming. There are 3 research centres within RIAD  - the Centre for Applied Art Research, the Design and Architecture Research Centre and the Centre for Fine art Research. Research students are members of RIAD.
http://www.riad.ulster.ac.uk/index.php <http://www.riad.ulster.ac.uk/index.php>

Art versus Industry? Is An international conference at Leeds City Museum, being held 23-24 March 2012. Of particular interest are two papers Nicole Bush (Northumbria University) Mechanical Patterns: The Role of Brewster’s Kaleidoscope in the Age of Morris and the Machine and Patrizia Di Bello (Birkbeck) ‘Camera-Medusa’: Stereoscopic Photographs of Statuettes. The full programme and further information is below.

Organised by:

Dr Kate Nichols (University of Bristol)

Gabriel Williams (University of York)

Rebecca Wade (University of Leeds)

Full details at http://artvindustry.blogspot.com/

Registration deadline: 9 March 2012. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Friday 23 March 2012

9.00-9.30

Registration and coffee

9.30-9.45

Welcome and introductions

9.45-10.45

Lara Kriegel (Indiana University)

Filaments of History: Ladies, Lace, Labour and Nation at the Fin de Siecle

10.45-12.45 Panel One: De-Centering the Narrative

Chaired by Sarah Turner (University of York)

Lara Eggleton (University of Leeds)

Surface Deceits: Owen Jones and John Ruskin on the Ornament of the Alhambra

Sally Tuckett (University of Edinburgh)

Colouring the Nation: Scottish Turkey-Red Design and Manufacture

Natasha Eaton (University College London)

Subaltern Colour? Art, Industry and Colonialism in Britain and India

Renate Dohmen (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)

The Calcutta International Exhibition of 1883-4: A Differenced Vision of the Great Exhibition?

12.45-1.45 Lunch (provided)

1.45-3.45 Panel Two: The Aesthetics of Technology

Chaired by Mark Westgarth (University of Leeds)

Alistair Grant (University of Sussex, Victoria and Albert Museum)

Galvanic Engraving in Relief: The Origins of the Art of Electro-Metallurgy

Angus Patterson (Victoria and Albert Museum)

For the Promotion of Art: The Formation and Influence of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Electrotype Co&ection

Graeme Gooday and Abigail Harrison Moore (University of Leeds)

Decorative Electricity: The Gendered Aesthetics and Ethics of Domestic Electric Lighting

Anne-Marie Millim (University of Luxembourg)

“A substitute for moonlight”: The Cultural Value of Mining in The Graphic (1870s)

3.45-4.00 Coffee

4.00-5.00

Tom Gretton (University College London)

Industrialised Graphic Technologies Feature the World of Art: The Illustrated London News and The Graphic

c. 1870 - 1890

5.00 Please join us at the Victoria (behind the Town Hall) to continue our conversations!

8.00 Conference Dinner (not included, but we hope you will still join us).

Saturday 24 March 2012

9.30-10.00

Registration and coffee

10.00-11.00

Colin Trodd (University of Manchester)

Affinity and Alienation: Civility, Barbarism and Discourses of Design Culture, 1862-1894

11.00-1.00 Panel Three: Making and Mechanical Perception

Chaired by Danielle Child (University of Leeds)

Ann Compton (University of Glasgow)

Building a Better Class of Craftsman? Re-examining Issues of Education, Craftsmanship and Professional Practice

in Sculpture and Related Trades, c. 1880-1925

Gabriel Williams (University of York)

‘Mechanical Dexterity’ and Sculpture Machines at the Great Exhibition

Nicole Bush (Northumbria University)

Mechanical Patterns: The Role of Brewster’s Kaleidoscope in the Age of Morris and the Machine

Patrizia Di Bello (Birkbeck)

‘Camera-Medusa’: Stereoscopic Photographs of Statuettes

1.00-1.45 Lunch (provided)

1.45-3.15 Panel four: Labour, Class and Invention

Chaired by Kate Hi& (University of Lincoln)

Jasmine Allen (University of York)

The Status of Stained Glass at the International Exhibitions

Frances Robertson (Glasgow School of Art)

Crank-Pin Tracks and Corinthian Columns: Engineers and Draughtsmen as Visual Technicians

Ben Russell (Science Museum)

James Watt’s s Workshop: A Nexus Between Art and Industry

3.15-3.30 Coffee

3.30-4.30

Steve Edwards (Open University)

Picture Capitalism

4.30-5.00 Roundtable discussion and closing remarks

The search begins...As reported back in December in BPH the current Director of the National Media Museum, Colin Philpott, is to leave in April. The search for his successor - re-designated as museum Head has now started. See: http://britishphotohistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nmem-director-ph... for the original report.  

Head of the National Media Museum
UK, Bradford

Award wining, visionary and unique the Media Museum houses world class collections in photography, film, broadcast and new media.

As Head of the Media Museum you will have the drive and imagination to commission creative content and embrace new thinking, technologies and approaches for our collections, exhibitions and programmes.

The Museum is based in the heart of Bradford.  It is one of a group of four museums including the Science Museum, the Railway Museum and the Museum of Scienceand Industry Manchester.  Together we reach over 5 million visitors.

The role includes:

• developing a vibrant programme of innovative exhibitions an programmes for local and national audiences
• leading the external promotion of the museum and its collections to a wide array of stakeholders
• building cultural partnerships across a local and national landscape
• developing and coaching an effective leadership team to ensure they reach their full potential
• working with the science museum to develop and deliver Medial Space – a new exhibition and programme venue for the MediaMuseum in London.

For an information discussion, please contact Heather Mayfield on 0207 942 4862, for further information please visit www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/aboutus.

APPLICATION DETAILS

You may wish to upload a single document in Microsoft Word format which includes both your CV and a covering statement.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:  Head of National Media Museum

Department: Media Museum

Location:   Bradford

Reports to: Deputy Director, Science Museum

Date:  25 January 2012

Purpose of the Job

To lead the Media Museum at Bradford, ensuring its future success and maximising the impact of its exhibitions and programmes for local, and national, audiences.

To develop a clear strategic and business plan for the national media collections held by NMSI, and ensure optimum public access through exhibitions, display, digital delivery and research.

Work with colleagues to ensure that Media Space becomes a landmark cultural venue, and ensure that a creative programme for the Media Space enhances the cultural offer in Bradford.

Key Deliverables/Accountabilities

1. To manage national collections of film, photography and television at Bradford.
2. To lead the collections and exhibitions teams ensuring they stay abreast of contemporary practice to produce high quality, innovative, visitor focused products that enhance the Museum’s reputation and expand audiences.
3. Develop and motivate an effective senior team, coaching them to reach their potential.
4. Setting of and managing of standards across all areas of responsibility
5. Support the Deputy Director (Science Museum) to maximise access to the collections and ensure that a deeper of understanding of the collections is achieved through scholarship and other research.
6. Support the Deputy Director (Science Museum) to devise the exhibition, seminar and learning programme for the Media Space and display galleries in Bradford.
7. Work towards the recognition of Media Space as a major cultural offering, working closely with the arts team at ScienceMuseum, and curatorial team in Bradford and London.
8. To ensure a strategic approach to building the collection, and robust de-accessioning where holdings no longer have public value.
9. To lead the external promotion of the museum and its collections to a wider array of stakeholders.
10. To work devise an audience strategy, working closely with the Directors of Learning and Enterprises, to create targets that maximise visit numbers, whilst also balancing reach and financial impact.
11. Support the Deputy Director (Science Museum) to recruit an excellent Advisory Board; and lead on its management and participation.
12. Build partnerships and alliances with regional cultural, governmental and commercial players.
13. To work with the Director of Master plan and Estate, Deputy Director (Science Museum) and other relevant NMSI colleagues to develop a long-term master plan for the Bradford museum and its collections.
14. Cultivate corporate and individual sponsorship and patronage.
15. Take care of your personal health and safety and that of others and report any health and safety concerns.  Ensure proactive compliance with NMSI H&S Policies, including risk assessments and implementing safe systems of work

Working Relationships and Contacts

• Direct working relationships with the Deputy Director Science Museum and the NMSI Executive group
• Strong working relationships with: the Director of Master Plan and Estates, the Director of External Affairs and the Director of Development.
• Strong working relationship with the local authority in Bradford, local cultural organisations, and specialist audiences
• Strong working relationships with the creative industries represented in the MediaMuseum’s content

Line Management and Budget Responsibility

Directly line manages: 4-6 people

Indirectly line manages: 50-60 people in multidisciplinary teams

Budget Holder of  £4,000-5,000k

Candidate Profile

Experience

• A strong track record of creative success at strategic level in museums and/or galleries
• A strong track record of commissioning creative content, in display and learning programmes in a museum setting
• The proven ability to translate ideas into effective action speedily and within a tight budget.
• Comfortable with change, and effective at promoting it
• A strong interest in media and associated technology
• The ability to be a successful ambassador for the museum, communicating the Museum’s core messages effectively at all levels internally and externally
• A strong track record of building effective partnerships in cultural organisations nationally and internationally
• Experience of building and championing national venues/galleries/cultural institutions outside London

Skills, Knowledge and Relevant Qualifications

• Educated to post-graduate level in a relevant subject and\ or evidence of substantial experience of developing and delivering successful creative museological content in different organisations.
• Demonstrates strong leadership and management skills that will deliver strong performance
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent networking skills
• Strong negotiating skills, able to focus on museum priorities and achieve a coherent approach to branding across a wide spectrum of activity. 
• A demonstrable track record of working effectively with different types of collections

Behaviours

• Leads the team to increased output, higher levels of creativity, stronger connections with science and art content for local and national audiences
• Ensures a strong outward focus for all activities aligned with meeting the needs of visitors and scholars
• Leads an effective and pro-active management team that delivers world-class museological outputs
• Is strongly focused on innovative creative content that directly connects visitors with the Museum’s collections and the creative industries
• Is strongly committed to developing and delivering a world class media museum within a group of science and industry museums
• Looks for and develops suitable synergies within the NMSI group to increase capacity and capability in the team at the MediaMuseum

Scope for Impact

• Will lead the MediaMuseum to be a leading cultural venue in Bradford and London.
• Will develop and secure strong and meaningful relationships with the public and industry in Bradford and West Yorkshire.

Please note:

• This job description is not exhaustive and amendments and additions may be required in line with future changes in policy, regulation or organisational requirements, it will be reviewed on a regular basis.
• This role is subject to a Disclosure Scotland basic criminal record check

For further information see: https://vacancies.nmsi.ac.uk/VacancyDetails.aspx?VacancyID=102

Closing date 5 March 2012

We welcome applications from all sections of the community in which we work. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people and we guarantee interviews to suitably qualified disabled applicants.  

John Hillelson, who owned the John Hillelson Agency and was the London agent for Magnum from 1958 until 1987 died  on 13 February following complications after a heart operation. John was born on 13 April 1923 in East Prussia and arrived in Britain in 1934 fleeing from Nazism. He was classified as an enemy alien in 1939 but secured a job as a caption writer at the Keystone picture agency. He then served with RAF as a wireless operator rejoining Keystone after the war.

He opened the John Hillelson Agency in 1958 at 145 Fleet Street, representing Magnum Photos in the UK.He maintained close links with Magnum until his death.

His son writes: “After serving in the Royal Air Force during WWII, John Hillelson embarked on a career in journalism that took him to Paris in the early 1950s, to run the United Press picture desk. In 1958, following his return to London, he was invited to represent the Magnum photographers' co-op, and, during the 1960s, he collaborated with a new generation of weekly magazine editors to publish photo-reportage by Magnum photographers and gain exposure for less-known work, such as the pictures of apartheid smuggled out of South Africa by Ernest Cole in 1966-7.

The John Hillelson Agency became one of the most respected picture agencies of 70s and 80s, expanding its stable to include the French Viva and Sygma agencies, and many independent photographers. The Agency's library, overseen by Judith Hillelson with her incomparable visual memory, was an important resource for a generation of picture researchers.

Alongside his love of good contemporary photography, John was a pioneering collector of early photographs specialising in historic images of the Near and Far East by the likes of Felice Beato, Hill and Adamson, and James Robertson. These two strands of interest spanned over a hundred years of photographic development, and came together to confirm John's position as a leading advocate of human interest photography”.

For more information see: http://lalettredelaphotographie.com/entries/5628/the-death-of-john-hillelson http://www.pressphotohistory.com/?p=744 and http://cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/?ps=vsr4oG0Nve/WORKS-FILE/190150156/9

Special places have a magical power. They inspire people with extraordinary stories, Lacock Abbey & House is no exception. Set in rural Wiltshire, Lacock is famous for its picturesque streets, historic buildings and its more recent role as a television and film location. The Abbey, located at the heart of the village within its own woodland grounds, is a quirky country house of various architectural styles, built upon the foundations of a former nunnery. Visitors can experience the atmosphere of the medieval rooms and cloister court, giving the sense of the Abbey’s monastic past. In 1835 William Henry Fox Talbot invented the photographic negative at the Abbey, taking an image of the oriel window, making Lacock the birthplace of modern photography. The contents within the Abbey reflect 800 years of life here.

Sharing our love of places and people, you’ll manage the care of the Abbey and its collections while striving to improve the visitor experience through offering a glimpse into the incredible stories of the people who’ve lived here. You’ll be bringing this fascinating property to life for all of our visitors. And you’ll need to use all of your creativity and enthusiasm to make sure visitors keep coming back. There’ll be challenges. But, you’ll be ready for them. In fact, you’ll face them head on. Leading and managing a great team of staff and volunteers, you’ll be confident showcasing your big, bright ideas and helping to develop engaging plans across the property with the Lacock team, to improve visitor enjoyment which in turn will generate income and support important conservation activities. You’ll also focus your energies on making sure that the Abbey has effective security and fire protection at all times.

As part of this role involves providing out-of-hours security cover (on a rota basis), you’ll be expected to live in the provided on-site accommodation. This will include evening, weekend and Bank Holiday working. 

About you

Alongside an understanding of collections management and experience in a conservation role, you’ll have an impressive track record of managing people and places. You’re an inspirational leader and enjoy motivating your team with your exciting ideas. You’ll be happy working with big budgets and hitting big targets too. We’d also like you to have a degree or commensurate experience in a relevant field. You’ll enjoy getting things done and making things happen at this special place, like putting smiles on faces.

Incredibly rewarding

We expect a lot, but we’ll offer a great deal in return, starting with stimulating and challenging work and the opportunity to help us achieve our bold ambitions. We value your contribution, recognise the importance of a work-life balance, and are committed to your continued development. You can also look forward to free admission to all our incredible places, plus a helpful 20% off at our shops, cafes and restaurants. But they’re just the benefits we can tell you about here.

About us

Here at the National Trust, we want even more people to enjoy our extraordinary places, spaces and collections. We want people of all ages and backgrounds to get involved with them, be inspired by them, and love them as much as we do. That’s why we’ve put some bold ambitions in place. We want everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to feel like a member of the National Trust and, by 2020, we want to have grown our membership to more than five million.

Apply

To be part of something special, please visit our website. Closing date: 29 February 2012. Provisional interview date: 14 March 2012.

For more information see: http://vacancies.nationaltrustjobs.org.uk/job-detail.asp?id=7790

Employer: NATIONAL TRUST

The Courtauld History of Photography Research seminars start on 22 February:

Courtauld History of Photography seminars:

Research Forum

The Courtauld Institute of Art

Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN

tel: 020 7848 2909

Email: researchforum@courtauld.ac.uk

www.courtauld.ac.uk

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is showing Silver, Salt, and Sunlight: Early Photography in Britain and France from February 7, 2012-August 5, 2012. It has been curated by Anne E. Havinga.

The invention of photography in 1839 was a pivotal achievement that changed the course of cultural history. The early years of the medium were rich in experimentation. As each process and technique was invented, artists enthusiastically explored new possibilities for visual recording and expression. This exhibition celebrates the golden age of early photography in France and Britain, the two countries in which the medium was simultaneously invented.

Arranged according to theme and exploring a range of photographic approaches, “Silver, Salt, and Sunlight” features some rare early photographs from the Museum's collection. Among the photographic pioneers included are William Henry Fox Talbot, Hill and Adamson, Roger Fenton, Edouard Baldus, Gustave Le Gray, Nadar, Julia Margaret Cameron, and Francis Frith.

For more information: http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/silver-salt-and-sunlight and for a review: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/2/14/MFA-early-photography-exhibit/ 

Image: Gustave Le Gray’s “Cloudy Sky—The Mediterranean with Mount Agde.” The photograph is an albumen print from wet collodion glass plate negative.

On the occasion of Szathmari’s birth bicentennial (1812-2012), the “G. Oprescu” Institute of Art History takes great pleasure in inviting you to the Szathmari, Pioneer Photographer and his Illustrious Contemporaries conference to be held on 14-16 May, 2012, at the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania.

Conference Objective and Goals

The three-day conference will present the results of new, unpublished research on Szathmari’s work and in works by other outstanding photographers of his time. The proceedings of the conference will be published in a book.

Conference Themes

- Carol Popp de Szathmari (1812-1887), his life and his work

- Outstading European photographers in mid and late 19th century

- Szathmari and his contemporaries (statesmen, painters, writers, journalists)

- Szathmari’s albums and pictures in state and private collections outside Romania

- Scientific investigation into Szathmari’s photographs

- Conservation and preservation issues related to Szathmari’s plates and prints

We have the pleasure to announce that our keynote lecturer is Prof. Larry J. Schaaf, an independent photo-historian based in Baltimore, USA, and an expert on the invention and early history of photography. Dr. Schaaf is the author of numerous book.  He was the 2005 Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University and is the founder and Editor of the online Correspondence of William Henry Fox Talbot.

 Related Events

Conference participants will enjoy the unique and unprecedented opportunity to view a selection of the most important pictures by Szathmari in the collections of the Library of the Romanian Academy.  The Cotroceni National Museum is organizing a Szathmari retrospective exhibition. One night the participants to the international conference will be the guests of that museum. A guided tour of Bucharest, pointing out the monuments pictured by Szathmari will complete the conference offering the participants a bit of 19th century Romania. The event will close with a gala projection of the documentary movie The Eyewitness (2002, directed by Gabriel Cobasnian, screenplay and starring A-S. Ionescu).

The organizer is providing free accommodation to all participants.    

Procedure

Please send the title and an abstract of your paper (max. 300 words) as well as a curriculum vitae, to the following address: adriansilvan@hotmail.com 

Deadline: 31st March 2012

The papers can be filed in English, French, German, Italian or Romanian but the language used during the conference will be English and Romanian only. Authors of selected papers will be notified by 15 April 2012.  We would highly appreciate if you would be prepared to submit your paper of max. 10.000 words (notes and bibliography included) before 30 April 2012.

For further information please contact adriansilvan@hotmail.com

The board of organization:

Adrian-Silvan Ionescu, Alan Griffiths, Ruxanda Beldiman, Cornelia König