Niépce - Now or Never!

[Michael Wong]

As part of the 2-day Niépce in England Conference to be held next month in Bradford, participants will have a very unique and unprecedented opportunity (that may not be repeated in our lifetime) to view all three Niépce plates ‘out of their frames’.

These three artefacts, made on pewter plates, are among the finest examples of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce's works and are part of the Royal Photographic Society collection. It will enable participants a rare chance toclosely examine the surfaces and reverse of these unique photographic treasures. The plates, and their conserved frames, will be on display
throughout the conference in the Kraszna-Krausz Print Viewing Room, in the NMeM Research Centre.

Speaking to the BBC, Museum curator Philippa Wright said: "That they will all be on publicdisplay out of their frames for perhaps the last time is very special indeed."

The good news is that if you can't make it to the Conference, the plates can still be viewed by appointment at the museum until the end of October 2010.


Photos: Le Cardinal d'Amboise; Christ Carrying His Cross (Niépce heliographs)