December 2014 Blog Posts (29)

Photographer and teacher Paul Hill MBE has launched a petition to protect the Library of Birmingham's internationally important historic and contemporary photography collections and archives. They are in danger of being closed and mothballed and the photography collections team will be made redundant. 

The petition states: Birmingham City Council is proposing…

The V&A Photographs Department has issued its latest newsletter giving details of recent and forthcoming exhibitions and activities. A copy is available to download here V%26A%20Newsletter%202014.pdf. To receive it directly email…

The V&A is holding a major exhibition to explore the contribution of Julia Margaret Cameron's contributions to the art of photography. Cameron (1815-1879) was one of the most important photographers of the nineteenth century. Criticised in her lifetime for her unconventional technical approach, she is now celebrated as a pioneering portraitist. 2015 will mark the…

Paul Goodman, Head of Collections Projects, at the National Media Museum , Bradford, left the museum on 23 December 2014, following a restructuring of staff posts. Goodman had been responsible for leading on specific major collections-related activities.These had included managing the museum's three recent large acquisitions: the Impressions Gallery collection, the Ray…

In case you missed it there's a fascinating article as part of the Guardian's Science The H Word series by Mirjam Brusius. She explores new archive evidence that tells a different story about the history of photographs and questions the idea of invention and 'firsts' in photography.

Well worth a read. …

The renowned Observer newspaper photographer Jane Bown has died, aged 89. Bown began working for the Observer newspaper in 1949 and she was working almost up until she died. Her style was direct and she relied largely on natural light and her Olympus OM1 camera and, of course, her technical knowledge and personality to produce her outstanding portraits. 

She…

Two weeks ago BPH reported on the cuts being proposed by Birmingham City Council and their likely impact on the photography collections in the Library of Birmingham. It now seems…

The Photographic History Research Centre at De Montfort University, Leicester, has announced its seminar programme for Spring 2015. They are open to everyone, without charge, and take place on Tuesdays from 4–6pm   in the Hugh Aston Building. 

January 13  2015  (Hugh Aston 2.08)

Mirjam Brusius (University of Oxford)…

Amsterdam's Fotorestauratie Atelier VOF is holding a course on the identification of photographic  processes led by Clara von Waldthausen, Hans Meesters or by a guest lecturer. The course covers the most common modern photograph processes and finishing techniques in theory and in practice. Participants will learn about and examine the…

Christopher Mahoney, senior Vice President of Photographs at Sotheby's New York, has announced that Denise Bethel will be stepping down as Chairman of Phtoographs, and with leave the company to work independently, advising private clients and institutions, lecturing, and writing. In a newsletter circulated to clients he notes: "Denise joined Sotheby’s in 1990.  Since then,…

This work in the area of History of Photography seeks scientific analysis of the impact of photography in science, and the role of science in the development of instrumentation and photographic processes.

In depth scientific analysis of the instrumentation and chemical/physical processes involved in the 19th-early 20th centuries of Scientific Photography has not…

Imargem, Almada Art Association will hold it's annual exhibition at Almada Art Gallery from 18 December to 14 February. This year there will be a homage to the photographer and master printer, António Paixão (1915-1985).

António Paixão (1915-1985) is recognized by his master printing skills, and printed for most mid to late 20th century Portuguese photographers.…

Opened in 2013, Media Space is an exciting collaboration between the Science Museum and the National Media Museum in Bradford, home of the National Photography Collection. A new London venue for world quality photography exhibitions and events, Media Space includes a 525m² major exhibition gallery and the flexible 300m²  Virgin Media Studio. 

This…

Opened in 2013, Media Space is an exciting collaboration between the Science Museum and the National Media Museum in Bradford, home of the National Photography Collection. A new London venue for world quality photography exhibitions and events, Media Space includes a 525m² major exhibition gallery and the flexible 300m²  Virgin Media Studio. 

The…

This spring the V&A will present a display of over 50 recently acquired photographs that explore the experiences of black people in Britain in the latter half of the 20th century, enhanced by excerpts from oral histories gathered by Black Cultural Archives.

Over the last seven years the V&A has been working with Black Cultural Archives to acquire photographs…

A major new study of two of Scotland's most influential Victorian amateur photographers, the surgeon Dr Thomas Keith and his future brother-in-law, miller and art collector, John Forbes White will be published in April 2015 and limited to an edition of 500 copies. 

Written and researched by John Hannavy The Victorian Photographs of Dr Thomas Keith and John Forbes…

The exhibition of Modern Photographs from the Thomas Walther Collection, 1909–1949 which is on show at New York's Museum of Modern Art until 19 April 2015 is supported by a website Object:Photo. Modern Photographs 1909–1949: The Thomas Walther Collection dedicated to the research and conservation of the 341 photographs…

Christina Broom is widely considered to be the UK’s first female press photographer, beginning her photographic career at the age of 40, in 1903, when she published her first news photographs as postcards.

This major exhibition, the first entirely dedicated to her, will feature a cross-section of her impressive work including many photographs that have…

Here are 3 albumen prints of what I assume are sections of the Parthenon Frieze in the British Museum. There are tiny oval blind stamps within the images -I can only read 'Mansell & Co.': 

Would anyone know who the photographer was? 

Were these part of…

On Wednesday, 17 December 2014 Cathrin Hauswald will present a paper ‘A. L. Coburn's photographic autobiography as an instrument of “ennoblement”’ The paper is part of a larger project tracing the development from pictorialism to abstraction in photography at the beginning of 20th century. It…