Blogs

Quickshaws Tours is offering an twelve night tour in Sri Lanka to discover the places photographed by and associated with Julia Margaret Cameron, who died and was buried in the country in 1879. The tour will take in the first Cameron plantatio described in her letters, their coffee estates including Dimbulla, places she photographed, and her burial place at St Mary's Church, Bogawantalawa. In addition the tour will take in other historic places, sights and landscapes as well as the food and culture of the country.  

The tour has been produced by, and will have the services of, Cameron scholar Aneela de Soysa. Discover where she lived and made her last photographs, and explore her life in British Ceylon on a tour of Sri Lanka. The tour is for art historians and photographers interested in the work of Cameron to experience the sights and sounds of Sri Lanka then and now and includes seven World Heritage Sites.

Discover Julia Margaret Cameron in Ceylon 1875-1879
Tour led by Aneela de Soysa
9-21 February 2025
For full details of the itinerary and cost see: https://www.aneeladesoysa.com/

UPDATED: The organisers have jus tannounced a shorter 8-night tour that covers the principal Cameron sites, and omits some of the other Sri Lanka sites. 

See Aneela de Soysa speak about Cameron here

Image: Julia Margaret Cameron, Two Young Women, Ceylon, 1875-79, Albumen Print, AIC

It is well known that after Adamson Octavius Hill’s only other photographic partner was Alexander McGlashon. They exhibited in Edinburgh in December 1861 and in the London International exhibition which ran from 1st May to 1st September 1862; they also published an album in 1862 of fifteen photographs titled: “Towards the Further Development of Fine Art Photography”. A selection of their work can be found at the following link:- https://www.nationalgalleries.org/search-all/McGlashan

While the Rock House garden in Edinburgh was the location for some of these images it was not the only location.

Of the Rock House images particularly notable is that of Hill’s daughter Charlotte, “Burd Alane”. She is not identified as the subject of this portrait by the National Gallery or indeed by the Met in New York which also holds a copy, but the title of the photograph clearly points to it being her and comparison with John Adamson's 1855 portrait of her is conclusive.

However the image which won the plaudits is entitled “Horae Subsecivae” and is of the author John Brown and his cousin John Taylor Brown. This and several other images are in an indoor setting which may be inside the Rock House but it is noticeable that a curtain and table feature in various McGlashon CDVs suggesting that these images may have been taken in McGlashon’s studio at 130 Princes Street.

A further group of photographs includes one titled “Our First Grandchild: May-Day at Millfield” conveniently identifying the location as Millfield House in Polmont, the home of railway engineer, volunteer soldier and subsequently Edinburgh Member of Parliament, John Miller. As Miller’s first grandchild Marjory Cunningham was born on 11th August 1859 from the appearance of the child in the photo we can readily date this photograph to 1st May 1861.

Was this the end of Hill’s involvement with photography? Perhaps not. Certainly his association with McGlashon continued and there is a CDV of Hill with his wife Amelia Paton in which both are very smartly dressed, including in Hill’s case a top hat and cane, leading to the suspicion that this was taken at the time of their wedding on 18th November 1862.

However the story does not end there as very intriguingly I have discovered an 1864 newspaper report (The Scotsman, 25 January 1864) that during his recent visit to Edinburgh the portrait of Dean Stanley of Westminster by McGlashon & Walker (McGlashon’s then partner) “was arranged by Mr D. O. Hill, R.S.A.” Whether this meant that Hill was actively involved in the sitting or just that he introduced Stanley to McGlashon cannot now be ascertained but it does point to Hill’s continuing appreciation of McGlashon's photographic skill and may even represent Hill’s final photographic involvement.

BBC Radio 4's programme Toast will be looking at the story behind Kodak's business failure. Kodak made photography mainstream so why did it falter in a digital age? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, discovers how Kodak rose to become a massive global enterprise best known for its cameras and film. Alongside him is the serial entrepreneur, Sam White, ready to offer her opinions on the business's fortunes.

Kodak is still trading profitably but is now a much smaller business than it once was. Sean and Sam hear from expert guests including:

• Kamal Munir - Professor of Strategy & Policy at Cambridge Judge Business School which is part of the University of Cambridge
• Don Strickland - Kodak's former Vice President of Digital Imaging
• Paul O'Sullivan - who runs a film processing business in London
• Andrew Long - who worked in Kodak's consumer products division in the UK.

The programme will be broadcast and available to listen live on BBC Radio 4 on 7 November at 1232 and will then be available on BBC Sounds.

See: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0024sy5

Recent sightings of the Northern Lights in southern Britain have flooded our timelines in recent weeks as people try to capture its wonderful colours on their smartphones. Now The Polar Museum is inviting visitors to see stunning early attempts to capture the natural phenomenon in a new free exhibition, showcasing the work of Danish-born school teacher and self-taught scientist, Sophus Peter Tromholt (1851–1896).

In 1875 Tromholt moved from Denmark to Norway. There he taught at a school, lectured in astronomy, wrote many articles and several schoolbooks, and even composed two pieces of music. However, the northern lights were always his main interest. He wanted to capture them using photography and determine their height in the atmosphere. In 1885 he published his results in the book, Under the Rays of the Aurora Borealis.

During 1882-83 in the first International Polar Year, Tromholt spent a year living with the Sámi of Kautokeino in northern Norway. He didn’t succeed in taking photographs of the northern lights as photographic plates were not sensitive enough at that time. Instead, he chose to photograph the Sámi people living there, and became famous for his respectful portraits of named Sámi individuals – pioneering at that time. It was in Tromholt’s prints of Sámi people and landscapes at the University of Bergen Library, guest curator and artist Dr Christine Finn encountered Tromholt's sketches of the heavens over Kautokeino, originally made to accompany his newspaper articles and provide illustrations for his book.

Guest curator and artist, Dr Christine Finn, said: “These pictures were created from original glass negatives archived in Bergen. The wooden surface against which Tromholt photographed the drawings is visible, knots and all. Also left for context are the numbers which represent duration or time, almost certainly in his own hand. These traces are part of the ‘archaeology’ of the Aurora as it progresses from Tromholt's eye to brush and pen marks, glass plate negative, then digital file, and now, a print on fine art photographic paper. We do not know if he began with sketch books, or even coloured the works. It is to be hoped more evidence will emerge over time.” 

These awe-inspiring, large scale prints will go on display at the Polar Museum, including Tromholt's self-portrait in his open-air photography studio. He is posed amongst scientific equipment and fresh wooden construction, dressed in Sámi clothing and gazing at the camera, possibly being gazed at himself by some of those who called him the ‘Star Man’.

The Sámi people live in modern-day Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Historically they supported themselves through fishing, reindeer farming and hunting. Today, some Sámi people live outside the traditional Sámi homeland known as Sápmi. The Polar Museum holds many examples of Sámi objects, art and clothing, some of which can be seen in the upcoming exhibition.

The leading British stage and screen actor, Michael Maloney (currently on UK tour as Hercule Poirot in Lucy’ Bailey and Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express) has recorded an extract from Sophus Tromholt's descriptions of auroras from Under the Rays of the Aurora Borealis. Visitors will be able to access this via headphones in the gallery. 

Prof. Richard Powell, Director of the Scott Polar Research Institute said: “The Aurora Borealis, and their representation, have a fascinating history. We are delighted to host this innovative and timely exhibition here at the Institute.”

Dr David Waterhouse, Curator of the Polar Museum said: “This exhibition combines the history of science and photography with Dr Finn’s artistic processes in order to bring this fascinating story to life some 140 years later. As the recent increase in solar activity makes the northern lights visible throughout the UK, many of us can relate to the frustrations of Aurora photography. Tromholt was a pioneer in the subject – moving to the Arctic Circle in order to study and capture their image. What better timing for an exhibition focused on the Aurora?”

Under the Rays of the Aurora Borealis
15 November 2024-22 February 2025
Curated by Dr Christine Finn
The Polar Museum, Cambridge
Free to visit, Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm.
https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/

Image credit: Sophus Tromholt, Picture Collection, University of Bergen Library, Norway

The Kraszna-Krausz Foundation is delighted to be collaborating with the V&A South Kensington to present the Photography Book Award Symposium 2024. Drawing together political and personal histories, artists Hristina Tasheva, Alice Proujansky and Lewis Bush will present their award-winning and nominated publications, followed by a conversation chaired by Dr Duncan Forbes, Head of Photography at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Kraszna-Krausz Photography Book Award Symposium 2024
Tuesday, 19 November 2024
17.00 – 19.45
The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Free event, booking required
Click here to book

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery will take to the skies and see the world from above the clouds through the remarkable work of Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer. A trailblazer in his field, Buckham (1879-1956), a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, soared above the realms of what was thought to be possible in twentieth century photography and aviation. He moved aerial photography from straight documentary bringing to it an artistic and pictorial aesthetic. From 18 October 2025– 9 April 2026, meet the man behind some of the most iconic aerial photographs, marvel at the death-defying lengths he took to capture the perfect image and explore how his innovative techniques paved the way for modern technologies such as Photoshop and AI.

Anne Lyden, Director-General at the National Galleries of Scotland said 'We're really excited to announce our 2025 public programme, which is packed full of fantastic exhibitions. Breathtaking installations at the Royal Scottish Academy, soaring above the clouds at the Portrait gallery, and modern and contemporary highlights from your national collection at the Moderns. Whether you want to be inspired, find a moment of calm or share a joyful experience with friends - there's so much to discover at the National Galleries of Scotland.'

Image: Alfred G. Buckham, Aerial View over Edinburgh, c.1920. Scottish National Portrait Gallery collection.

This October the National Galleries of Scotland is partying like it’s 1984 with Celebrating 40 Years of Scotland’s Photography Collection, at the Portrait gallery from 26 October 2024 – 16 March 2025. Step back in time to the 1980s when the National Galleries of Scotland officially began its world-class photography collection. Explore over 100 art works from Scotland’s national photography collection, of some 55,000 photographs, dating from the 1840s to the present day in this free-to-visit exhibition. Marvel at historic photographs, visit some famous faces and discover an exciting range of what makes a photograph in this eclectic celebration of the nation’s photography collection.

Celebrating 40 Years of Scotland’s Photography Collection marks this magnificent milestone, reflecting on all that has been accomplished in the last four decades and looking to the future. In the 1980s recognition of photography as an artform was growing rapidly as museums and galleries around the world were looking to establish and grow their collections. National Galleries of Scotland were no different. Having begun collecting photography in the late 19th century, it was in 1984 that the National Galleries of Scotland

collection was formally established. A world-renowned photography collection it is regarded as one of the best in the UK, its breadth and quality matches those of London institutions such as the V&A and National Portrait Gallery, London. Due to its original remit to collect the very best of Scottish and international photography, the collection has developed over the last 40 years to have global reach.

Now over 55,000 artworks strong the ever-growing collection is showcased in this lively exhibition which explores the major themes, subjects and processes from throughout the history of photography. Including works by major photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron, Robert Mapplethorpe and Annie Leibovitz. Highlighting the enticing and universal nature of photography, the exhibition will include six themes; portraiture, landscape, documentary photography, archives, inclusion and experimentation.

Find portraits of famous Scots such as, Andy Murray, The Proclaimers, Jackie Kay and David Tennant as well as fun and vibrant portraits such as Viviane Sassen’s In Bloom. A newly acquired work consisting of photographs, film and performance by Glasgow-based artists Beagles & Ramsay will be on display for the first time. The Sanguis Gratia Artis (Black Pudding Self-Portrait), is a performance piece alongside photographs where the artists make black pudding out of their own blood to explore the boundaries of the self-portrait.

Celebrating the connectivity and nostalgia that photographs bring to people worldwide, the exhibition looks at how this incredible artform can be traced through generations of Scottish photographers and schools of photography. Embracing the eclectic nature of photography, vibrant displays will create interesting contrasts and connections between historic and contemporary images. Discover how the ideas and subject matters that started with David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson in the 1840s continues to be photographed centuries apart with different and modern cameras. Take pride in the influential alumni of Scottish photography schools whose connections extend around the world, making Scotland a significant home to photography. Explore the idea of what makes a photograph, reflecting on changing technology and taking a look at artists who are pushing the boundaries of what we might have traditionally thought of as a photograph.

Get a deeper understanding of how photographers have explored the themes of landscape and environment change including a new acquisition by American, Sant Khalsa combining photography and sculpture. Displayed alongside early Scottish photographs by John Muir Wood, showcasing the beautiful shapes created by trees. This offers a fascinating look at how these two artists explore the same subject matter in completely different ways.

Discover works by revered international photographers, with exceptional photographs from the ARTIST ROOMS collection, jointly owned by the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. The exhibition draws a selection of works by globally renowned artists, such as Robert Mapplethorpe and Diane Arbus. This will also be the first time the National Galleries of Scotland has shown work from the ARTIST ROOMS collection by Don McCullin, one of the world’s greatest photojournalists.

Scotland is known as a centre for documentary photography and the exhibition will celebrate this with a medley of the best documentary photographers who have made work in Scotland. Weaving in some old favourites and new acquisitions this will highlight photographers such as Alfred Eisenstaedt, Eve Arnold, David Hurn, Joseph Mackenzie and Bert Hardy. A wall of Hill & Adamson’s fisherwomen will mark an important moment in the development of documentary photography not just in Scotland but in the history of the medium.

In the years immediately following its establishment, National Galleries of Scotland received a number of significant bequests which quickly grew the collection. The exhibition will explore some of these major archives, such as The Riddell collection which joined the collection in 1985, ARTIST ROOMS, established in 2008 and jointly owned by the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate, and the MacKinnon Collection that was jointly acquired with the National Library of Scotland in 2018. Throughout the decades, the collection continues to grow and each year new additions are made, with an increasing focus on equality, diversity and inclusion.

Looking to the next 40 years, the exhibition also focuses on acquisitions from the last decade which address issues such as equality, inclusion and diversity. National Galleries of Scotland actively seek opportunities to broaden representation across the collection and the exhibition highlights this as a priority area for collecting in the future. Representation of female photographers has been a recent priority, with work by artists including Chrystel Lebas, Wendy McMurdo, Chloe Dewe Mathews and Arpita Shah entering the collection.

Anne Lyden, Director-General at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: ‘Photography is a cornerstone of the National Galleries of Scotland, accounting for almost half of the entire collection. It is with great delight that we celebrate the medium with this impressive and engaging exhibition drawn entirely from the vast holdings of the nation’s collection. Over the course of the last forty years many photographers, collectors, donors, curators, and enthusiasts have contributed to this important world-class collection which belongs to the people of Scotland. We are excited to celebrate this anniversary with our visitors through such a dynamic display.’

Louise Pearson, Photography Curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: ‘The 40th anniversary is the perfect moment to draw from the full breadth of Scotland’s photography collection. This vibrant and fun exhibition includes photographs of famous Scots and works by photographers who have become household names. It opens many possibilities in making connections across our country’s photography collection, sharing highlights as well as celebrating lesser-known works. We want visitors to join us in celebrating the collection and take pride in Scotland’s contribution to photography worldwide.’

This exhibition is funded by The Morton Charitable Trust and the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery

Supporting the exhibition are a series of live, online and hybrid events and workships including: an opening talk Celebrating 40 Years of Scotland’s Photography Collection (hybrid, free). Join a panel of invited speakers to mark the opening of our Celebrating 40 Years of Scotland’s Photography Collection exhibition. The conversation will look at the national photography collection in the context of the 1980s.

Read more: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/celebrating-40-years-scotlands-photography-collection
See a STV piece on the exhibition: https://news.stv.tv/east-central/exhibition-celebrating-40-years-of-scotlands-national-photography-collection

Image: (Top:) CC:  David Octavius Hill & Robert Adamson / Jeanie Wilson [Newhaven 15]; (lower:) Oscar Marzaroli, The Castlemilk Lads, 1963. Purchased 1985 © Estate of Oscar Marzaroli.

24.39 is the new name for the former Photo Discoevr Fair and is now run by Barnabé Moinard. It is a key event during the Paris-Photo fair bringing vintage and collectable photography and books to the contemporary fair. 24.39 will bring together dealers, gallery owners, collectors and international experts every year. 24.39 boasts vintage prints spanning from the very beginnings of photography in 1839 to the end of the twentieth century. The fair offers a broad selection of works to discover - both eclectic and varied, sometimes little known, often wonderful, and always surprising.

24.39 is a must-attend event for professionals and amateurs alike: a unique rendez-vous where the most unusual and distinctive collections are born.

24.39
Saturday, 9 November 2024, 1000-1600
Pavillon wagram, 47 avenue de wagram, Paris 17
Free entry
Details: https://24-39.com/about

Tying in with Paris Photo (7-10 November) the latest issue of The Classic has been published in print and as a free download. In this issue, it interviews Malcolm Daniel at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Ettore Molinario, due to open Casa Museo in Milan next spring. There are also lengthy interviews with Michael W. Sonnenfeldt and Richard Grosbard of MUUS Collection and Robert Muir, Rachel Wetzel, Michael Greisman and Sasha Belgrave each discuss one of their research projects. There is much more besides. 

You will find an article about Paperbase on The Classic Platform, our online resource, as well as the first three interviews in a new series, The Next Generation in Classic Photography and Heat and Dust – Captain Linnaeus Tripe’s views of Burma, an article about the prints held by Hulton Archive, written by the archive’s Vice President Matthew Butson.

Download: https://theclassicphotomag.com/the-classic-12/

From photographs of Northern England in the early 1970s, to his renowned theatre and Samuel Beckett photography, to images of James Baldwin, and Paula Rego in her studio, this is a comprehensive exhibition of John Haynes’ work.

When Niloufar Bakhtiar Bakhtiari met Jane Haynes during a zoom bridge session in the Covid-19 lockdown, Niloufar mentioned a Samuel Beckett photograph she admired in Sloane Square restaurant Colbert. Jane revealed that the photograph was taken by her husband John… Years later, John Haynes and Niloufar Bakhtiar Bakhtiari collaborate to bring A Life Passing By to the history-rich exhibition space in Avenue Studios.

Niloufar strongly believes in the importance of memory and the way in which it moulds our identity, and this permeates John’s work. With small group gatherings, reminiscent of the literary salons of the past, the exhibition will offer something unusual in today’s art world — intimacy, discussion and a space for contemplation.

A life passing by John Haynes. A showcase of photographs from 1963-present
4 November-6 December 2024
By appointment at 3 Avenue Studios, Sydney Close, London SW3 6HW
For more information, to view the exhibition, attend the events email: gracepilkingtonpublicity@gmail.com

See: https://www.johnhaynesphotography.net/

Image: © John Haynes, Samuel Beckett at The Royal Court Theatre, 1973 

Photography versus Thatcher: The Photo Co-op Archive, prints and objects, 1979 to 1986 – Photofusion’s origin story tells the story of the early years of the Photo Co-op, the founding organisation which later grew into Photofusion. Opening on 14 November 2024, this exhibition features vintage items contributed by the participating photographers from their archives that now form the Photo Co-op Archive at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol.

Curated by Chris Boot, and in collaboration with the Martin Parr Foundation, the exhibition features photographs by Janis Austin, Corry Bevington, Luis Bustamante, Gina Glover, Crispin Hughes, Sarah Saunders, Vicky White and Sarah Wyld. These include a wide selection of original library photographs used to promote social causes, with objects and documents from the time, and examples of laminated panels from campaign exhibitions. Seen together for the first time, these archival artefacts reveal the ‘world view’ the Photo Co-op created in photographs – a style of advocacy for progressive causes and, in particular, for the solidarity of women, made for and with the community.
Photo Co-op began as a group of campaigning photographers in 1979, making pictures to engage in the battle against the social and economic values of Margaret Thatcher as they were rolled out in Wandsworth. The organisation thrived with the support of the Greater London Council (the GLC) – a thorn in Thatcher’s side – until she abolished it in 1986. Photo Co-op later moved to Brixton and became Photofusion.

A network of volunteer photographers and journalists, many who made pictures for the community newspaper ‘Pavement’, got organised as ‘Wandsworth Photo Co-op’ and mounted an exhibition of work by 25 photographers on the street outside Battersea Arts Centre in 1979. Within months, a mix of photographers, teachers, social workers, community activists, students, and others invested in their local community were meeting regularly, buying materials together, lending their help as photographers to community causes, producing campaigns, sharing darkrooms, making exhibitions and calendars, and starting a photo library.

The growing Co-op was supported by the Greater London Council (GLC)’s innovative, Community Arts Panel; initially to pay three women a shared salary to engage with local women’s issues in southwest London. Their work included campaigns to Save the South London Hospital, on behalf of women, and against privatization. The GLC supported establishing an office and community darkroom in 1984 and doubled its support of now six photographers.

The Co-op’s photo library of campaign images was loaned for reproduction to local and national causes and used in multiple campaign posters and leaflets by the GLC itself, arguably Thatcher’s most articulate institutional critic, including by its Low Pay, Women’s and Popular Planning Units. The Co-op’s style of documentary advocacy pictures became central to the GLC’s visual language until its abolition. Its abolition by Thatcher - alongside winning the Falklands War, beating the miners, and shrinking public services – was one of Thatcher’s signature acts.

The women who won support as “Women’s Photo Co-op” in 1982 were Gina Glover, Sarah Saunders and Corry Bevington. With additional GLC support they grew to include Janis Austin, Vicky White, and Crispin Hughes. Chris Boot joined the membership as its first administrator in 1984 and Luis Bustamante its first education worker in 1985. After GLC funding ended, Photo Co-op continued with the support of the regional Arts Council, moving in 1990 to a new space in Brixton with a gallery, a teaching darkroom and a studio focusing on education and enabling photographers in the community. With the move in 1990, Photo Co-op rebranded as Photofusion, continuing to run the Photo Library until 2015.

Chris Boot (Curator) says: ‘It has been great to have the opportunity to explore the history of Photo Co-op, where, just out of college in 1983, and wanting to be part of the cultural resistance to Thatcherism, I got my first job in photography. The photographers involved at the outset - and the heirs of those who since died – have dug into many storage boxes to put together this archive of objects of their time: photographs, laminated panels, press clippings, minutes, etc, now the Photo Co-op Archive at the Martin Parr Foundation. It’s a compelling story, of a women-led workers’ co-op, forged in the particular fires of Wandsworth – the front line of Thatcher’s sweeping cuts – initially activists-with-cameras who volunteered their picture-making skills to local groups and campaigns, who then won funds from the Greater London Council to pay photographers to make campaign pictures for and with the community, and where the pictures were in turn used widely by the GLC itself, becoming central to their campaigning visual language. Women are usually the heroes of these vivid documentary-advocacy photographs, very of their historical moment that, between them, offer a coherent idea of how society might value and care for its citizens, while challenging prevailing stereotypes of gender, race and class’.

Jenni Grainger, Director of Photofusion says: ‘We are delighted to be presenting this exhibition in collaboration with the Martin Parr Foundation. It speaks both directly to the story of how Photofusion came into existence, and to the fact that, 30 years on, we remain a place for people to express their creativity, their views, and where photographers are supported at all stages of their careers. Our new home on Beehive Place, in the heart of Brixton, is the perfect place to exhibit the ‘world view’ that was created by photographers at the beginning of our organisation and understand the social causes they were championing at the time’.

Photography versus Thatcher: The Photo Co-op Archive, prints and objects, 1979 to 1986 – Photofusion’s origin story
15 November 2024 to 4 January 2025
https://www.photofusion.org/

Image: (top) Mrs Quick's Hospital, Panel exhibition. © Gina Glover_Photo Co-op. Courtesy Martin Parr Foundation. (Lower:) Demo Against National Front, who were meeting in Battersea Town Hall during 1979 General Election. © Sarah Wyld_Photo Co-op. Courtesy of Martin Parr Foundation

Signal Film and Media (SFM) is inviting applications from photographers or lens-based artists who will work collaboratively with local people to produce a new artistic commission that responds to The Sankey Family Photographic Archive resulting in a public exhibition.

The Sankey Photographic Archive is a stunning collection of over 10,000 glass plate negatives and postcards of Barrow and the north-west, which were produced and shared around the world from 1895 to the 1970s. The whole collection has now been digitised and can be searched on our new dedicated website.

We welcome applications from photographers or lens-based artists who have experience of, and the passion for, working in a socially-engaged and/or a participatory way. We welcome artists with an interest in working with archival photography and how the process can inform the development of their work.

Applications are encouraged from photographers/artists from all backgrounds and we actively encourage artists to apply who belong to one or more of the following groups: Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic group, Refugee, D/deaf, Disabled, Neurodivergent, Working Class and LGBTQI+.

This project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to use digital media and creative interpretation to explore the Sankey Photography Archive and make it accessible to a diverse range of people.

Fee: £9,000 (To cover artist fee & workshop delivery fee, production materials, any travel and accommodation needs).
Exhibition Dates: April 2025.
Location: Barrow-in Furness, Cumbria, LA14 5QR.

Details: https://signalfilmandmedia.com/about/work-with-us/

Since the invention of photography in 1839, many of the contributions made by women have been forgotten, leaving their legacy on the margins of history. In recent times, this biased view has evolved thanks to the historiographical rescue of numerous amateur or professional women, regular participants in the different stages of the creative process (researchers, photographers, retouchers, assistants, etc.). In Retratadas, Stéphany Onfray offers a novel approach by analyzing the beginnings of the photographic medium from the perspective of gender. Thanks to a lucid reinterpretation of the relationship that women had with the camera, no longer as operators, but as portrayed, she proposes new lines of reflection to dismantle the hegemonic discourses that have historically confined them to a role of passive observers. Through an exhaustive examination of nineteenth-century visual and material culture, from painting, literature and theatre to the press and a nascent fashion industry, the author explores how, by capitalising on their own image and therefore their bodies, women displaced the boundaries between the sexes, becoming part of a cultural and social dialogue that not only redefined gender boundaries but also favoured a more contemporary, affective and artistic vision of the photographic object.

Retradas. Fotografía, género y modernidad en el siglo xix español [Portrayed. Photography, gender and modernity in 19th century Spain}
Stéphany Onfray
Cátedra, 2024, 360 pages
ISBN 978-84-376-4858-3
€29.95 (paper)
Details: https://catedra.com/libro/arte-grandes-temas/retratadas-stephany-onfray-9788437648583/

This display explores how visual representations of Italy developed. These range from 15th-century woodcuts to 19th-century photography.

Books, travel guides and diaries from the Library's collections document the rise in visitors to Italy. You will see how book illustrators and photographers saw Italy, and how their work provided an impression of the country for British and European audiences. Early book illustrators usually presented a highly idealised, almost mythical, view of the country. They focussed on magnificent Roman ruins, imposing Renaissance buildings, and beautiful rural scenes.

The invention of photography in the 19th century provided a new way to record Italy. Early photographers continued the picturesque tradition of book illustrators. You can explore this in Robert Macpherson's photographs of Rome and examples from John Ruskin's collection of daguerreotypes (on loan from The Ruskin, Lancaster University).

See recently acquired 1840s calotype negatives, probably by James Calder MacPhail and James Dunlop. These are the earliest surviving photographs of Italy by Scots.

You can also enjoy James Craig Annan's 1890s photogravures of Venice and Lombardy. These showed how handheld cameras could record street scenes and everyday life in Italy.

Images of Italy (1480 to 1900)
until 2 November 2024
National Library of Scotland
See: https://www.nls.uk/whats-on/images-of-italy-1480-to-1900/

Magda Kuca is offering a beginners collodion workhop. Develop your practice through this one-day workshop, offering the opportunity to learn wet plate collodion - a victorian photography process using silver and light to obtain a unique images on the glass plates with a large format camera. The session will include:

1. Health & Safety Information
2. Information on wet-plate darkroom equipment-studio work and field work
3. Preparation of chemistry-glass cleaning agent, cadmium-free salted collodion, silver bath, developer , standard fixer. Note on maturing and shelf-life of chemistry
4. Introduction to large format camera and collodion plate holders.
5. Collodion studio lighting set-up and notes on exposure measuring methods
6. Presentation of plate preparation and glass cleaning methods including commonly made mistakes
7. Creating wet plate portraits/still lifes ( it will be up to you, you are welcome to bring any objects you would like to use for shooting) for as long as time allows.
8. Varnishing and various varnish types
9. Troubleshooting tips

London's National Portrait Gallery has announced its 2025 programme which includes several exhibitions of photographic note. First up, in spring is The Face Magazine: Culture Shift (20 February - 18 May 2025). The Face Magazine: Culture Shift celebrates iconic fashion images and portraits from The Face, a trail-blazing youth culture and style magazine that has shaped the creative and cultural landscape in Britain and beyond. From 1980 to 2004, The Face played a vital role in creating contemporary culture. Musicians featured on its covers achieved global success and the models it championed – including a young Kate Moss – became the most recognisable faces of their time. The magazine also launched the careers of many leading photographers and fashion stylists, who were given the creative freedom to radically reimagine the visual language of fashion photography and define the spirit of their times. Relaunched in 2019, the magazine continues to provide a disruptive and creative space for image-makers, championing fresh talent in photography, fashion, music and graphic design. This exhibition will bring together the work of over 80 photographers, including Sheila Rock, Stéphane Sednaoui, Corinne Day, David Sims, Elaine Constantine and Sølve Sundsbø, and will feature over 200 photographs – a unique opportunity to see many of these images away from the magazine page for the first time.

The Face Magazine: Culture Shift is curated by Sabina Jaskot-Gill, Senior Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, together with Curatorial Consultants Lee Swillingham, former Art Director of The Face from 1992 to 1999, and Norbert Schoerner, a photographer whose work featured in the magazine throughout the Nineties and Noughties. The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication of the same name, with contributions from Ekow Eshun, Sabina Jaskot-Gill, Jamie Morgan, Pete Paphides and Matthew Whitehouse, and interviews between Nick Logan and Lee Swillingham; Neville Brody, Jill Furmanovsky and Sheila Rock; Elaine Constantine, Glen Luchford and Nancy Rohde; and Norbert Schoerner and Stéphane Sednaoui.

In the autumn Robin Muir has curated Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World (9 October 2025 - 11 January 2026). Renowned as a fashion illustrator, Oscar-winning costume designer, social caricaturist and writer, Cecil Beaton – ‘The King of Vogue’ – was an extraordinary force in the 20th century British and American creative scenes. Elevating fashion and portrait photography into an art form, his era-defining photographs captured beauty, glamour, and star power in the interwar and early post-war eras. No previous exhibition has exclusively spotlighted his ground-breaking fashion work, a pivotal aspect of his career that laid the foundation for his later successes. With this in mind, Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World will showcase Beaton at his most triumphant – from the Jazz Age and the Bright Young Things, to the high fashion brilliance of the Fifties and the glittering, Oscar-winning success of My Fair Lady. In between, he endured the hardship of war as a photographer of the home front and of the Western Desert campaign and beyond. From 1939 as a royal photographer, by appointment to the House of Windsor, he propelled the monarchy into the modern age.

Curated by Robin Muir, a Contributing Editor to British Vogue (to which Beaton himself contributed for over fifty years), this new exhibition will chart Beaton’s rapid progression through the fashionable worlds of film, art and couture, influenced in London, Paris, New York and Hollywood by the fast-moving pace of metropolitan life. The exhibition will be accompanied by a new publication, Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World, by Robin Muir.

November also sees the rteurn of the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize exhibition (13 November-8 February 2026) and a new commission.The TWPPP showcases the work of talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals in the very best of contemporary photography. The competition celebrates a diverse range of images and tells the fascinating stories behind the creation of works, from formal commissioned portraits to more spontaneous and intimate moments capturing friends and family. The selected images, many of which are on display for the first time, explore both traditional and contemporary approaches to the photographic portrait whilst capturing a range of characters, moods and locations. The annual In Focus display will also highlight new work by an established photographer. The 2025 edition will see the unveiling of a new commission for the Gallery’s Collection, to be announced in November 2024. A new publication, including all works exhibited as part of the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize, will be available from November 2025.

See: www.npg.org.uk

Images: L-R: Jazzie B (Soul II Soul) by Enrique Badulescu, April 1989 © Enrique Badulescu; Kate Moss by Glen Luchford, March 1993 © Glen Luchford. Styling Venetia Scott; NPG x40415. Cecil Beaton and Stephen Tennant, ‘Riviera Wanderers’ by Maurice Beck and Helen Macgregor, 1927 © reserved; collection National Portrait Gallery, London; The Second Age of Beauty by Cecil Beaton, British Vogue February 1946 © The Condé Nast Publications Ltd. Condé Nast Archive London.

This role will support the Senior Registrar in managing the daily logistics of incoming and outgoing stock for the gallery and archive. This role is vital to the smooth operation of the gallery and involves the general upkeep of both the gallery and the archive.

The Michael Hoppen Gallery opened in 1992 and is founded on a passion for photography. As a gallery we are renowned for nurturing the careers of new and interesting artists and exhibiting them alongside acknowledged nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century photographic masters.

Details: https://www.artsjobs.org.uk/jobs/51794

Does anyone have catalogues for City Sale and Exchange, period 1915-1920? I have bought a Murer camera badged Salex, similar to the one they called ’Sprite’ but larger - or were there several Sprites, I don’t know. If there is anything in their lists on the subject I’d be very interested! And an instruction manual??

The Bodleian has launched a call for its annual visiting Fellowships. Bodleian Visiting Fellowships in Special Collections are awarded to promote research based on archival, manuscript, and printed books collections of the Bodleian Libraries. Researchers external to the University of Oxford are invited to pursue their own research projects requiring use of these collections. Visiting Fellows may be invited during their visits to present their work in progress formally or informally within the University or in the Bodleian Libraries and should consider publication of their findings in the Bodleian Library Record.

Although the Sloan Fellowship in Photography is not being offered this year other categories will be of interest to photographic historians and artists.

The Sloan Fellows for 2024/25 are: 

Sloan Fellow in Photography: Hilary 2025: Beth Saunders, Curator and Head of Special Collections & Gallery, Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; ‘Enmeshed: Lace and Women’s Labor in Julia Herschel’s A Handbook for Greek and Roman Lace Making (1870)’

Sloan Photographic Arts Fellow, Michaelmas 2024: Adrian Paul Tyler, Photographer and book maker; ‘Book Wreck’

Details of past Sloan Fellows are here: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships/awarded-fellowships

Details of the current call and categories are here: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships/bodleian-visiting-fellowships 

The Department of History at the University of Nottingham is seeking a Research Associate/ Fellow in Photographic History (with a particular focus on colonial Southeast Asia). The purpose of this role is to work on the AHRC-funded project ‘Resettling the Colonial Lens: Photography and the (Re)Making of Malaysia’s New Villages’. This is 3-year, multidisciplinary and transnational project which aims to respond to the following question: What role has photography as a medium played in documenting, critiquing and re-writing the history of resettlement in late-colonial Malaya? Photography was a key medium through which the colonial state sought to document the Malayan Emergency (1948–60). This was particularly so for resettlement. Under this counterinsurgency scheme, almost half a million rural residents of colonial Malaya were moved into hundreds of resettlement camps – later re-labelled ‘New Villages’ (NVs) – in an attempt to undermine support for the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). The ‘Resettling the Colonial Lens’ Project explores not just the way in which photography was used to document resettlement, but also how it is being used today to re-imagine and rewrite histories of resettlement in Malaysia.

The successful applicant must have a PhD (or close to completion) or equivalent in photographic history or related fields. They must have experience of working with/on historical photographs, particularly those relating to colonial Southeast Asia (especially Malaya/Malaysia). They must have excellent oral and written communication skills (and be fluent in English). They must also have the ability to work well to deadlines and to manage administrative demands efficiently.

We warmly welcome applications from under-represented groups, regardless of gender, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, age, socio-economic background, disability, religious or political beliefs, trade union membership, family circumstances, sexual orientation or other irrelevant distinction. We have an Athena Swan Bronze Award recognising good practice towards the advancement of gender equality in our school.

Shortlisting is anonymous. We cannot see any personal data or the ‘Additional Information’ section in your application until shortlisting is completed. Shortlisting is by criteria-based questions based on the role specification, rather than CV or letter. 

The post is offered on a fixed-term contract until 31 December 2027, post commencing on 1 January 2025 or as soon thereafter. Hours of work are full-time (36.25 hours per week). Job share arrangements may be considered. The candidate will be expected to attend scheduled online and in-person meetings and events with relevant parties in the Nottingham area, though extended periods of research will also be undertaken in London and elsewhere.

Details: https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=ARTS439224