Blogs

The British Embassy in Beijing recently held an exhibition at the JW Marriott Hotel in Beijing presenting China as seen through camera lenses dating as far back as 1870. This is the first time this exhibition has been displayed in China.

‘Picturing China 1870-1950: Photographs from British Collections’ presents a wealth of images of a country undergoing rapid change in its society, culture and heritage as well as providing snapshots of expatriate life at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. These images are part of a unique collection gathered from private collections of photographs taken, commissioned or purchased by the tens of thousands of Britons who lived in or visited China from the 1870s until the 1950s.

The images on display come from the ‘Historical Photographs of China’ project at the University of Bristol, which is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through the British Inter-university China Centre, and the British Academy.

Photo: John Oswald in the tea tasting room at Oswald & Co., Foochow (Fuzhou), c.1890. Unknown photographer. © SOAS

Orientalist Museum in Doha has an opportunity for a curator of photography collection with several years experience to undertake the management of the museum collection.

Successful candidates will be required to manage the photography collection including, but not limited to, attention to proper storage and conservation needs and to research of the collection, incorporating new information into the museum database, exhibitions and publications; plan, design, and execute the photography exhibition program in collaboration with the Orientalist museum research team, plan exhibition installation design and assist with the actual installation as necessary; supervises presentation of traveling exhibitions scheduled by the Orientalist Museum. Conducts ongoing research on the Museum's photography collections. Works collegially with curators in overlapping disciplines on matters of mutual interest. Develops exhibitions and installations from the Museum's permanent collection. Conducts research, selects objects, and works with registrars on coordination of loan agreements, packing and shipping, and other exhibition details. Writes catalogues, brochures, and other publications; writes exhibition wall labels and extended object labels. Develop the photography collection as a research resource for local and international scholars. Work closely with the education department and supervise the docent training as it pertains to the interpretation of photography exhibitions. Foster collaborative projects within the museum and with international museums and related cultural and educational organizations. Perform other duties assigned by the Director of the Orientalist museum.

See: http://www.museumjobs.com/jobdetails.php?JobID=7588

George Eastman House recently announced it is adding high-resolution photographs to the Google Art Project, offering yet another platform to share its unparalleled collections. Eastman House, the world’s oldest museum of photography, is the first museum of photography to be selected for inclusion in the Google Art Project. The resolution of the images combined with a custom-built zoom viewer allows users the ability to discover details never before seen. In addition Eastman House has included all available cataloging data, allowing viewers access to information not previously available online. 

The initial group of 50 Eastman House photographs on Google Art Project spans the 1840s through the late 20^th century and a wide variety of photographic processes from the 174 years of the medium’s existence are represented.

Visitors to the Google Art Project can browse works by the artist’s name, the artwork, the type of art, the museum, the country, collections, and the time period. Google+ and video hangouts are integrated on the site, allowing viewers to invite their friends to view and discuss their favorite works in a video chat or follow a guided tour from an expert to gain an appreciation of a particular topic or art collection.

You can check it out yourself on this link here.

Moose on the Loose is a Biennale of Research organized by the UAL Photography and the Archive Research Centre.

The Biennale celebrates research into photography at the University of the Arts, London. It opens on May 2 with the exhibitions A Model War and Closer. Highlights include Community Matters: Photography Collectives of the 1970s,and Today on 23 May at the Swedenborg Society, plus Professor George Hardie, Graham Goldwater and Alexander Cooper in conversation at LCC on 2 May,and Patrick Sutherland looking back at his archive on 7 May. All welcome.

Full programme at http://www.mooseontheloose.net/

Some of you may be interested in this photo auction, taking place on April 25th in Barcelona. https://www.soleryllach.com/soler4/catalogo/0390-1

Rachel

The Royal Photographic Society's Historical group is presentating a day of reconstructions and demonstrations on 7 July in Bath...Roger Smith, a member of the Scientific Instrument Society has made a facsimile of the Wolcott and Johnson mirror camera, following as closely as possible the patent filed by Richard Beard.  David Burder will use the camera to demonstrate the daguerreotype process. This is probably the first time that a Wolcott camera has been used to make a daguerreotype since the early 1840s. 

There will be other demonstrations of early processes and prints, including wet-plate collodion (Guy Brown) and the bromoil process (Brian Iddon). Examples of prints resulting from some of the early processes will be provided by Donald Stewart.

This is a day devoted to notoriously unpredictable  processes - nothing is promised but an exciting day out.

The cost of £15 for non-Group members and booking is essential as space is limited.  

To see more and to book click here.

The proceedings of a conference that examined three plates from The Royal Photographic Society’s Collection by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce dating from c1826-27 have been published. The investigation by the National Media Museum and Getty Conservation Institute re-wrote photographic history and revealed a hitherto unknown photographic process.

In October 2010 the National Media Museum, Bradford, held a major conference, supported by The Royal Photographic Society, to present the findings from an extensive investigation into three plates by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce contained within the Society’s Collection. The conference brought together specialists from different areas ranging from conservators, to historians of picture frames, paper and fingerprints, as well as photographic historians. Exciting new findings were presented about the plates which rewrote the photographic history books. They revealed for the first time that the plates were the result of three different processes including a previously unknown photographic process.

The majority of the papers from the conference have been published by The Society’s Historical Group in a special edition of The PhotoHistorian and a one-off issue of The Society’s Imaging Science Journal totalling some 93 pages.  These are available as a set only in a commemorative folder for £20 including UK and worldwide postage.

The proceedings can be ordered via The Society website by clicking the link www.rps.org/niepce or by contacting The Royal Photographic Society on +44 (0)1225 325733 or reception@rps.org

I will be doing a two day silver gelatin dry plate workshop from Double Negative Darkroom on the 27/28 April. This two day workshop will cover all aspects of the contemporary Silver Gelatin Dry Plate technique - both glass plate negatives and Ambrotypes.

I have spent the last few years almost solely on the Silver Gelatin Dry plate technique and is by far and away my most popular workshop, so this is a great opportunity to discover a fantastic area of photographic history. The course will be run over two days and will cover all aspects of the Dry Plate technique - including glass plate negatives as well as Ambrotypes.

The glass plate technique is a very fascinating and rewarding form of photography and puts users directly in-touch with photographic history and a very artisan, craft-based form of photography where you, the photographer, control every stage of the process - from creation of the plate, through to the processing and conception of the finished, physical article.

The course will be run from Double Negative Darkroom - one of London's best equipped darkrooms.

Double negative Darkroom
178A Glyn road
London
E5 0JE

The cost of this two-day workshop is £330.00 (£110.00 deposit). To book email jon@jonathanstead.com or doublenegativedarkroom@gmail.com.

Students are welcome to bring large format cameras if they have one and wish to work with their own equipment - and they are also welcome to bring 35mm cameras or medium format cameras as most can be converted to take plates - making plates of various formats possible... I will bring some examples and we can discuss options of how you can convert your camera - for future use as a dry plate camera. (please note it will not be possible to convert cameras on site).

All materials will be supplied, as will cameras - but as above, if there is anything you would prefer to work with your own gear (light meter for example) please do bring it along.

SEAS Photography website is now chugging along...some 20000+ images to add... and some glitches to iron out. But if you've time do have a browse... SEAS Photography 

The South East Archive of Seaside Photography (SEAS Photography) was first established in 2012 with assistance from a Heritage Lottery Fund award. It is located at Canterbury Christ Church University: Broadstairs Campus under the Directorship of Dr Karen Shepherdson.

SEAS Photography currently consist of two inter-related heritage strands:the Sunbeam Collection and Walkies Collection. 

http://www.seasphotography.org.uk/

Here is a singular opportunity to expand the vision of an important, multi-faceted centre that is not only a major gallery, but also an academic force in the world of photographic arts: a growing collection and an exhibition space that has inspired the creation of groundbreaking new works, publications and touring exhibitions. Since its opening in September 2012, more than 150,000 people have visited the Ryerson Image Centre. Situated at the heart of the university campus in downtown Toronto, this 4,500 square foot facility is dedicated to the exhibition, research, study and teaching of photography and related disciplines, including new media, installation art and film. It is home to an amazing trove of photographic works, highlighted by the world-renowned Black Star Collection of some 292,000 photographs. The Centre has Canada’s largest photographic teaching collection, a growing number of photographers’ archives, and a broad selection of moving image media.

Your inclusive, high energy leadership of the Ryerson Image Centre will expand its profile among Ryerson students, Toronto’s public and the international art community. As the Centre’s Director and chief relationship developer and a key fundraiser, one of your priorities will be to expand upon the many international partnerships already in place and create a visionary strategic plan that embraces the interests of multiple stakeholders. Reporting to the University Provost, you’ll be an advocate of the Centre’s academic mission as you put a significant focus on scholarly exhibitions, managing and building the research collection and supporting research. In addition to your role as champion of the Ryerson Image Centre, you will also add best practices and sound fiscal management to the organization while supporting progressive development of your team.

An accomplished organizational leader and advocate, you will also bring a zeal for the arts and academia to this administrative and entrepreneurial role.

To be considered for this position, please submit your resume and related information online by selecting where you heard about the role and clicking “Add to List” below.

For questions, please contact Margaret Vanwyck in the Toronto office at +1 416-366-1990.

See: http://www.odgersberndtson.ca/ca/executive-opportunities/11566/

A chance find in a Brighton antiques shop in April 2012 may bring its owner in excess of £500,000 as Martin Philips has decided to part with his cardboard boxes of old photographs. Museums and private collectors have expressed an interest with his collection of Choate’s work and all three hundred original prints, plus some surviving glass negatives when they are sold at auction later this month.

Described as one of the most significant photographic discoveries in recent decades, over half of the 500 photographs were perfectly-preserved 19th century albumen prints of feet of famous people including the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, naturalist Charles Darwin and fellow photographer Julia Margaret Cameron.  All the prints bear the signature ‘Erasmus Choate, Brighton’ - one of the founders of the Photographic Society in 1853. He is known to have exhibited in the London Salons of the 1850s and ‘60s, though it was thought that none of his work had survived.

Phillips says that some of Choate’s descendants had tried to claim ownership of the prints, but after a brief courtroom battle he has been confirmed as the legal owner. You can read the entire news article here.