August 2017 Blog Posts (19)

I am looking for information on the German born industrial photographer Adolf (sometimes Adolph) Morath who worked extensively for British Petroleum and the Kuwaiti Oil Company in the mid-20th century, photographing oil workers, their daily life and the company facilities in Kuwait and other places. Despite his huge portfolio, there seems to be hardly any information on Morath. I would be very thankful for any information, material or recommendation where to look.

Information Request :   Can anyone fill in detail about this Portrait worker and Photo Magazine author who seems to be connected with Norman Lewis, possibly through the Camera Club London. I understand he suffered a Motor Accident early in the War.

The second edition of the St Andrews Photography Festival opens on 1 September. The full programme is available here.

Of particular note to photo-historians are: 

• 40th anniversary of Stills Gallery. Stills is presenting a display of exhibition posters from its archive. Dating from 1977 to the…

The National Portrait Gallery is to stage an exhibition of photographs by four of the most celebrated figures in art photography, including previously unseen works and a notorious photomontage, it was announced today, Tuesday 22 August 2017.

Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography (1 March – 20 May 2018), will combine for the first time ever portraits…

I have discovered yet another 19thC photographer in my family, this time on my Father's side and operating from the Old Kent Road area. I have found one of two examples of his CDV's but would welcome any further information?

Regards, Peter

The FLOW Photofest is presenting a series of talks on the work of Inverness salon photographer Andrew Paterson (1877-1948), the use of archives in contemporary art, and the results of a community curation project on a set of photographs of Francis Grant, an Inverness solicitor in the 1930s.

This day is sponsored by the Scottish Society for the History of Photography…

Drawn by Light is the title of a two-part podcast, totalling nearly two hours, looking at the move of the RPS Collection from Bradford to the V&A Museum, London.  It looks at the reasons behind the move and the processes which underpinned it through interviews with some of those involved and others with an interest in the move. It uses the move of the RPS…

The studio BYRNE & Co of Richmond - are any facts available ? I mean how long in the photographic business, who was owner/founder etc. Please take a look at the letter cover.…

The photograph as a byproduct of intention does not begin with its publication. Although photographs are uniquely powerful because of their reproducibility, the specific camera equipment and its use also needs to be considered for a fuller understanding of the image. Research that focuses on camera technology will help us understand how and in what ways imaging technology impacts and forms the representation out of which we make knowledge, base our judgments, and ultimately…

Fotografiska, Stockholm's centre for contemporary photography, is to open a new building to be called Fotografiska - London Museum of Photography in 2018.

Fotografiska - London Museum of Photography will occupy the lower ground floors and a new office pavilion at The White Chapel Building, designed by Fletcher Priest Architects, at…

I am researching John Thomson’s time in the Pearl River Delta region of China (namely Hong Kong and Canton) as part of a doctoral thesis at SOAS, University of London. I am particularly interested in any prints and carte-des-visites that he made in this region in the period 1868-1872. I would also love o speak to anyone who has carte-des-visites made by other photographers in Hong Kong at around this same time. I can be contacted through this website or at the email address…

The V&A has a number of courses and workshops taking place during August, September and October which include practical photographic process workshops and a history of photography evening course. Details are below. 

Salt Print Photography

Practical Workshop

Sat 19 August

10.30 –…

Photo Oxford 2017 is presenting an afternoon of stimulating discussions with artists, curators and academics that draw on the themes and theories explored in Photo Oxford 2017, a series of explorations into the complex and often contradictory relationship between photography’s capacity to both conceal and reveal. Of particular note is Professor Val…

Derby's historic photography studio W W Winter will be opening its doors between 8-10 September as part of Heritage Open Days. 

See more here: http://wwwinter.co.uk/historyandheritage.html Booking is essential at: …

Some months ago while browsing the net I came upon several photographs attributed to Thomas Begbie; I recognised several of these photographs as ones which I held in my collection. This led me to the Capital Collections website of Edinburgh Council libraries and museums where I recognised several further images which I own. I then acquired a copy of the 1992 book Thomas Begbie's Edinburgh - a Mid-Victorian Portrait by Joe Rock and again there were further photographs illustrated that I own.…

Pauline Heathcote’s archives in the care of Eric Butler at Bromley House Library have been the cornerstone of our research into Somerset Photography . The Archive and the book “A Faithful Likeness” written by Pauline and Bernard Heathcote covers early British photography from its beginnings to 1855 it is a mine of information for researchers of early  photography . I recommend them to anyone embarking on a similar county study like ours for Somerset which should be available in the next few…

Having just joined the British Photographic History Group, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and the research that I am carrying out. My name is Peter Norman, I am a Technician working at the National Portrait Gallery in London and I am looking to develop a workable method to reproduce the Lumiere Autochrome colour process. Over the past year I have been learning the Silver Gelatin Bromide technique as well as producing the coloured starch mosaic that is integral to…

An opportunity for two library cataloguers has arisen to catalogue a unique photobook collection of 13,000 items. The collection has been meticulously assembled over decades and requires cataloguing to become part of Tate Library’s Special collections. It is both national and international in its range.

You will have a qualification in librarianship or…

A new website which showcases the Terence Pepper Collection which contains over 2,000 photographs including many by leading photographers and historic news picture libraries is now available. It launches officially on 1 October 2017.

Terence Pepper was for many years curator at the National Portrait Gallery and between 1977 and 2014 over 3,000…