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12201076458?profile=originalHello fellow British Photo History Members,  A very Happy Holidays and New Years to you all! I am seeking information about how to 'float' an albumen photograph off of it's mount. Here I have an early English of French photograph, 22 x 17cm, showing a great old tree, with a few young people, bottom left.

I think that it is either a varnished salt print, or an 1850s albumen print, as it has just a very slight sheen. It is mounted on a heavy page from an album, the reverse looks like it previously held CDVs. My idea is that there may be information on the back of the photo, so I want to remove it from the mount. I have successfully floated albumen prints from their mounts by soaking them for several hours in warm water, but am unsure about how to proceed after this.12201076901?profile=original12201076665?profile=original

Before I undertake this method on this photo, I would like to hear members experiences/ ideas about how to properly dry, press, and remount photos like these.

Any information would be appreciated.

Best wishes,

David McGreevy

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12201073696?profile=originalThe American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works has at last published the volume I mentioned in an earlier blog: Platinum and Palladium Photographs: Technical History, Connoisseurship, and Preservation, edited by Constance McCabe, with 46 contributing authors. You can find some details and a detailed list of contents here:
This text is primarily directed at a readership of photohistorians, collectors, curators and conservators of photographs, as can be seen from the Contents, but there is also a significant amount of new science - primarily the analysis of precious Pt/Pd photographs by a range of modern spectroscopic techniques by museum scientists in the USA. This volume is also obtainable from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC:
The NGA has been the hub of our research endeavours over the last seven years, under the direction of the Head of Photograph Conservation, Constance McCabe, and it hosted an International Symposium and Workshop in 2014, of which the present volume is an extended account of the Proceedings, with much additional material and superb illustrations.
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12201072659?profile=originalTony Richards has recently written on his blog about a little known resource, The Strines Journal, compilied by Joel Wainwright and John M. Gregory, 1852-1856.

The monthly journal, produced in manuscript as a single copy only, records events in Strines and Marple, and wider occurrences, with articles on scientific, industrial and literary subjects. It is illustrated with watercolours, pen-and-ink drawings, and photographs. Joseph Sidebotham contributed drawings, photographs, and articles. Through him the editors were introduced to James Nasmyth, who contributed an article on the Moon, and there were several other notable contributors.

There are five bound volumes in total, plus an extraordinary issue on the occasion of Joel Wainwright’s marriage in May 1856. These volumes are now in the Rylands Collection at The John Rylands Library, University of Manchester.

Read Tony's full blog posting here and see links to the fully digitised five volumes. 

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12201078473?profile=originalThe Photographic Collections Network is a new organisation established to save and share the UK’s visual photographic history. Arts Council England has generously supported the PCN as a Subject Specialist Network.

The steering group includes The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Royal Photographic Society, Photography and the Archive Research Centre and the National Science + Media Museum. The website and individual membership were successfully launched in November 2017.

The PCN is now soliciting individual member and recruiting founding supporters. Find out more and join on the werbsite. See more at: www.photocollections.org.uk

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12201077697?profile=originalIn my final months as Chair of the Royal Photographic Society’s Historical Group – I am pleased to share two events that we have arranged which may be of great interest. 

The first event on Tuesday 23 January 2018, is the

Inaugural lecture  of the Colin Ford Lecture Series celebrating significant photographers and collections.

'André Kertész - The Real Biography?’ given by Robert Gurbo.

Robert Gurbo is the Curator of the André Kertész Estate in New York and has promised a fascinating first-hand perspective on Andre Kertész, celebrating his life and work.

The venue is the Royal Philatelic Society, 41 Devonshire Place, London, United Kingdom
W1G 6JY - 18:00 - 20:00

Places can be booked online at

http://rps.org/events/2018/january/23/colin-ford-lecture-series

Image copyright and courtesy of the Estate of André Kertész ©2017 All Rights Reserved.

The second event is the

Historical Group’s Afternoon Lectures at the V&A

Saturday 14 April 13:30 - 15:30, V&A Seminar Room 5, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, SW7 2RL

The afternoon comprises a series of fascinating lectures ranging from the recently exhibited to those yet to be.

Sophie Gordon Head of Photographs, Royal Collection Trust will speak on the latest exhibition from the Royal Collection - Shadows of War: Roger Fenton's Photographs of the Crimea, 1855

Dr Ed Bylina will present his perspective on ‘Early Photography in the Medical Profession’

Betty Yao and Deborah Ireland will be speaking on John Thomson’s photography in London and the Tropics

Places can be booked online at

http://rps.org/events/2018/april/14/historical-group-afternoon-lectures-2018

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12201070257?profile=originalJust after last week’s weekly BPH blog reminder email had been sent out Lacy Scott and Knight (LSK), an auction house based in Bury St Edmunds, made contact to let me know that there were four lots of photographic interest coming up for auction on Saturday, 9 December. A quick look suggested they were important early material relating to Alfred Swaine Taylor (AST) (right). Their provenance of Thorne Court, an estate in Bury St Edmonds, confirmed this. Alfred Swaine Taylor's only daughter Edith, married Fred Methold, of Thorne Court, near Bury St Edmunds, and moved there in 1865. The information was duly posted on Wednesday.

One lot included some particularly valuable images, two Mayall stereo daguerreotypes, which I advised LSK that should be described in more detail, although they did appear in the catalogue pictures. More images were supplied to me.  The outcome of the auction was that the four lots sold considerably in excess of their estimates and totalled some £13,950 (£17,298, including 20% buyer’s premium and VAT). My own bids which had been left online, as I was attending the French early paper negatives conference in Paris, were exceeded very easily.  The buyer at this stage is unknown but had an agent bidding in the room on the day.

12201070491?profile=originalThere is more to the story. A lot sold the previous week in a general sale at LSK also came from Thorne Court. In some ways it was even more interesting than the four on Saturday. It was listed as ‘A large quantity of unframed pictures and prints, to include; etchings, engravings, photographs, monochrome copies etc’. It contained a series of some thirty photographic images, both negatives and positives, camera views and copies of engravings. Many of these were initialled ‘C.T.’, which is very likely to be Caroline Taylor, AST’s wife (left). One other item in the lot was initialled ‘A.S.T.’ suggesting the respective initials indicated ownership or authorship. The earliest photographic image was captioned ‘King's College Chapel, Cambridge, 26 July, 1839’ another was a photogenic drawing of a plant, dated August 1839 (below, left).  One image (below, right) shows a photograph of an engraving cut in to three, with two annotated 12201071261?profile=originalas ‘restored’ which is discussed in John Werge’s The Evolution of Photography (1890). Werge clearly knew AST and described him (p.106) as ‘a man of remarkable energy and versatility’. Other images included Calotype views of Paris dated 1850 and, again, initialled ‘C.T.’and an image also reproduced as figure 2 in Alt’s paper.

12201071100?profile=originalSo, the lot included a series of very early images made within eight months from Talbot’s announcement of his photogenic drawing process in January 1839. It may also include work by one of the first women photographers, certainly the first outside of Talbot’s immediate circle, if the initials indicated authorship. Although the condition of many of the images was poor the lot sold for £4700 (£5828, including 20% buyer’s premium and VAT).

Taylor was discussed in two articles in History of Photography by Stephen White (July-Sept, 1987) and Laurence Alt (Winter, 1992) and AST has an entry in Taylor, Impressed by Light (Yale, 2007).

 

Lot descriptions from LSK

3457 (9 December 2017). *A pair of Victorian daguerreotype portraits of ladies, in gilt surrounds, housed in later velvet lined bakelite case in the form of a book, 5.5 x 5cm; together with various other Victorian daguerreotypes, mostly in fitted leather cases with hand-written annotations (12) Condition Report / Extra Information Two stereoscopic daguerreotypes - both labelled verso for Mayall's and of Edith C Taylor, both grubby otherwise good. Pair of small bakelite cased portraits - good. Daguerreotype of Edith Taylor with Emily, with numerous white spots on plate, otherwise good, annotated verso. two matching portraits of women, both corroding around all sides, one worse than the other. The last three framed portraits all good.

3456 (9 December 2017). *A Victorian hand-coloured daguerreotype three-quarter length portrait of a seated gentleman, in fitted J.C. Barrable Photographer red leather case, with hand-written label verso 'Alfred Swayne Taylor' and dated 1859, 12 x 9.5cm; together with four other Victorian portrait daguerreotypes, each in fitted leather cases with hand-written annotations (5)Note: Dr Alfred Swaine Taylor has been considered as the 'father of British forensic medicine' and was an important early pioneer of photography. Condition Report / Extra Information Daguerreotype of Swaine Taylor - numerous spots to glass plate, fine scratch lower left, otherwise good. Daguerreotype of Edith Taylor and her mother, 1847, some dust under glass case, otherwise appears excellent. Three remaining portraits - each with some losses.All annotated verso.

3455 (9 December 2017). *A Victorian hand-coloured daguerreotype three-quarter length portrait of a lady, in fitted leather case, with hand-written annotation 'Mrs Harris, aunt of D.A.S. Taylor, died 1863', together with a lock of her hair, the case with J.C. Barrable Photography, 24 Regent Street label, 12 x 9.5cm; together with four other Victorian hand-coloured daguerreotypes, each in fitted leather cases with hand-written annotations (5) Condition Report / Extra Information All slightly grubby. Hand-coloured. With some fading. Otherwise good.

3454 (9 December 2017). *A Victorian daguerreotype three-quarter portrait of a young girl, in fitted leather case, with hand-written annotation 'Edith C Taylor, aged 3 years, taken by Mayall, 1847', 7.5 x 6cm; together with various other Victorian daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and over-painted photographic portraits, each in fitted leather cases, many with hand-written and dated annotations (7)Note: Edith Taylor was the daughter of Dr Alfred Swaine Taylor, who has been considered as the 'father of British forensic medicine' and was an important early pioneer of photography. Condition Report / Extra Information The largest with significant mould residue all over.Both 'cabinet portraits' are overpainted, with some fading, otherwise good.Miss Larisa (elderly woman) in very good condition.Family group with losses to edges and some crazing in several areas.Edith Taylor aged 3 - daguerreotype, some minor spots to spots, otherwise good.Small oval female portrait on glass - very good.Small oval male portrait on glass - very good.

1061 (2 December 2017). *A large quantity of unframed pictures and prints, to include; etchings, engravings, photographs, monochrome copies etc

 

Acknowledgments

With thanks to Darran Green for detailed lot information.

Photographs: Lacy Scott and Knight and Darran Green.

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12201076276?profile=originalPhotographic collections are found in libraries, archives and museums all over the world. Their sensitivity to environmental conditions, and the speed with which images can deteriorate present special challenges. This one day training session is led by Susie Clark, accredited photographic conservator. It is aimed at those with responsibility for the care of photographic collections regardless of institutional context. The day provides an introduction to understanding and identifying photographic processes and their vulnerability, information on common conservation problems and solutions, and the preservation measures that can be taken to prolong the life and accessibility of photographic collections. Contact with real examples of different photographic processes is an important feature of this training session which is therefore limited to only 16 places.

At the end of the day participants will be able to: identify historic photographic processes explain how damage is caused implement appropriate preservation measures commission conservation work.

See more and book here: https://www.westdean.org.uk/study/short-courses/courses/bl34-preserving-historic-photographs

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12201075495?profile=originalThis webinar series, funded by The National Endowment for the Humanities, is free and open for all to attend. The first three webinars will discuss the various materials and technologies of photographic prints. The next two will teach a methodology and controlled vocabulary for process identification, as well as a demo of how to use Graphics Atlas. The last one will include an overview of collections care for prints and photographs including proper storage, handling and display methods, and guidelines for the storage environment. Watching the webinars as a series is encouraged but not required.

Recordings of the webinars will be made available if you cannot attend.

A Methodology for Process Identification, Part 1 December 13, 2017, 2:00-3:00pm EST Process identification can be overwhelming and daunting.  IPI has developed several tools in order to make this task easier.  This includes a step-by-step methodology and a controlled vocabulary specific to photograph characteristics for identification. This webinar will present the methodology and controlled vocabulary.

Register Here https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6833136394893109505?source=IPI+Website

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A Methodology for Process Identification, Part 2 January 10, 2018, 2:00-3:00pm EST This webinar will showcase IPI's web resource, www.GraphicsAtlas.org>. It will highlight the new process identification pages launched in December 2016 as well as the new filtered search and controlled vocabulary. IPI staff will demonstrate how these new features can be used toward accurate process ID.

Register Here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1433305048513110273?source=IPI+Website

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Using Identification to Improve Collection Preservation and Access February 14, 2018, 2:00-3:00pm EST The webinar series will culminate with a discussion of preservation and access for photographic collections. This presentation will draw from recent research to include an overview of collections care for prints and photographs, such as proper storage, handling and display methods, and guidelines for a preservation storage environment.

Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6542028596811544577?source=IPI+Website

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12201073679?profile=originalFrancis Hodgson's erudite, frequently opinionated and wide-ranging photography blog Writing about Photography carries a fascinating survey of Noel Pemberton Billing and the Compass camera. Although much of the history of the camera, P-B's other inventions and involvement with right-wind politics is known to some of us, they bear repeating. 

Take a look here: https://francishodgson.com/2017/12/06/the-cult-of-the-camera-noel-pemberton-billing-and-the-compass/

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12201073293?profile=originalPhotographs are found in large numbers in many institutions. These include museums, art galleries, libraries, universities, businesses and newspapers. They are also found in the collections of private individuals. They are a valuable historic, artistic and scientific resource made from many diverse materials and it is easy to damage them by inappropriate conservation and care. Led by Susie Clark, this course will describe the processes and photographic materials which have been commonly used and how to recognise them. It will also examine the problems caused by different processes and the appropriate methods and materials for their conservation and care. The course will include the opportunity to look at practical examples of processes and deterioration. The roles of the environment, biological deterioration, health and safety, storage and handling will also be covered. 

Susie Clark, ACR is an accredited paper and photographic conservator with many years of experience. She was formerly the conservator for a collection of approximately 20 million photographs at the BBC Hulton Picture Library (now Getty Images). Since 1990, she has been a freelance paper and photograph conservator and consultant, working throughout Britain and abroad on public and private collections. She has been the conservator for the Collaborative Research Project between the National Media Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute (USA) looking at the characteristics of different photographic processes.

See more and book here: https://www.westdean.org.uk/study/short-courses/courses/m3d07328-conservation-of-photographs

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12201066873?profile=originalA group of four lots of daguerreotypes, cased images and two stereo-daguerreotypes showing the family of Dr Alfred Swaine Taylor and Taylor himself are being offered at auction on Saturday, 9 December by Lacy Scott & Knight LLP in Bury St Edmunds. The lots were consigned as part of a large estate from Thorne Court, just outside of Bury St Edmunds, the former home of Taylor's daughter.

12201067480?profile=originalAlfred Swaine Taylor Hon MD St And MRCS LSA FRCP FRS (1806-1880) was pioneer of photography who wrote the 1840  On the Art of Photogenic Drawing. He was a doctor and is described as the ‘father of British forensic medicine'. The five mixed lots, which include 1840s and 1850s portraits of Dr Taylor (by J C Barrable and Antoine Claudet), and a portrait of Taylor’s daughter Edith, aged 3, by Mayall taken in 1847. 

Details can be found here and online bidding is available: https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lacy-scott-and-knight/catalogue-id-srlac10234?searchTerm=daguerreotype&whereToSearch=%2Fen-gb%2Fauction-catalogues%2Flacy-scott-and-knight%2Fcatalogue-id-srlac10234

The summary lot descriptions are; 

12201068267?profile=original

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12201068885?profile=originalA premiere screening of the new documentary exploring the life of Britain's great photographers... Fay Godwin HonFRPS is perhaps best known for her captivating portrayal of the British landscape and collaborations with major writers such as Ted Hughes. Her archive is held at the British Library. 

Don’t Fence Me In – Fay Godwin’s Photographic Journey provides an entire career retrospective, made with the intense cooperation of Fay Godwin and filming from 2001 until 2005, which turned out to be the last five years of her life.

From first taking family snaps, then documenting Camden social services, soon followed by a remarkable sequence of literary portraits, Fay Godwin moved into landscape photography for a series of walkers' books which evolved into the photographic collaborations with Hughes and others. Then followed a series of substantial volumes which provided a conspectus of British landscape, culminating in the polemical 'Our Forbidden Land', made when she was elected President of the Ramblers Association and documenting much that is wrong with the way the landscape is managed.

Godwin was appointed Photographer in Residence at Bradford's National Media Museum and worked in colour for the first time, documenting the city's dazzling multicultural landscape. Godwin’s work gradually moved from the macro to the micro as she became increasingly obsessed with details of gardens and plants close to home, often seen through glass, gauze and netting. Whilst for much of Godwin's career she used a black and white chemical darkroom, latterly she eagerly embraced digital colour technology with the same enthusiasm and eye for detail.

The film is structured through her appearance on Desert Island Discs and around three major retrospective shows of her work, first at London’s Barbican Centre, then the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia and finally at Scottish National Portrait Gallery Edinburgh.

Introduced by Filmmaker Charles Mapleston and Colin Ford CBE, Founding Head, National Museum of Photography, Film and Television.

A Malachite Production 2017 - 70 mins

British Library
9 January 2018
Thu 11 Jan 2018, 19:00 - 20:30

Book here: https://www.bl.uk/events/dont-fence-me-in-a-portrait-of-photographer-fay-godwin

A DVD of the film will be available after the screening or to order. See: http://www.malachite.co.uk/news.html

Image: Single Stone, Ring of Broga 1979. From ACGB series. Photograph by Fay Godwin

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12201065883?profile=originalHello, I am looking for information about this carbon print of Hill and Adams's Redding the Line. I understand that these carbon prints were made around 1916 by Jessie Brown Bertram. Would any member know where I can find more information about Bertram? Where these made to be sold commercially? Did she print other photographer's images?

Thanks in advance,

David McGreevy

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12201065081?profile=originalOriginally developed over 300 years ago, and widely used until the mid-twentieth century, magic lanterns were a spectacular tool of science. From Augustan coffeehouses and university lecture theatres to school classrooms and factory floors, magic lanterns were used to inform, educate and entertain.

In the final lecture of our series, members of the museum team will put some magic into the history and philosophy of science as they explore the history of magic lanterns and our museum collection. Laura, Paul, Polina and Mike will examine how these instruments worked, how they were used in communicating science to a variety of audiences, how they (and Yorkshire!) played a part in the growth of social campaigning and the birth of modern cinema, and how objects like these can be used to uncover and publicise histories that other sources can’t.

Please join us to celebrate the culmination of our two-year series. As usual, the lecture is open to all – for all backgrounds and ages with no prior knowledge assumed – and will be recorded and made available for download after the event. Tea & coffee will be served beforehand from 6:15, and after the lecture there will be a chance to see just what can be done with magic lanterns and slides over a celebratory drink!

You can register for the event for free at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/history-philosophy-of-science-in-20-objects-lecture-20-tickets-40835359660

'History & Philosophy of Science in 20 Objects', hosted by the Museum of History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Leeds. Tuesday 5 December at 6:30pm in the Rupert Beckett Lecture Theatre.

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Call for papers: Daguerreian Society 2017-2018

12201080298?profile=originalThe Daguerreian Society (Daguerre.org) invites authors to submit original papers that address and advance the understanding and appreciation of 19th century photography. Possible topics include the art, history, social impact, and practice of the daguerreotype and other photographic processes of this period.

All submissions will be considered for publication in the 2017 Daguerreian Annual.

Award for New Contributors

A $500 award will be given to the paper selected as best submission from an author who has not previously published in The Daguerreian Annual.

 

The Julian Wolff Awards for Student and Graduate Student Authors

The author of the highest-scored paper accepted for publication from a student or graduate student will receive $1,000, and second-highest scored paper will receive $500.  The two winners will also receive complimentary registration to the 2018 Daguerreian Society Symposium in New York City.  The prizes for student and graduate student authors are offered in memory of the late Julian Wolff, an educator, collector and dealer whose love for the daguerreotype contributed to many private and institutional collections.

 

Requirements

  • Authors are responsible for securing all necessary rights and releases for images used as illustrations
  • Authors must grant permission for both one-time print publication and for future electronic access  
  • Papers must be in English and may range in length from 500 to 8,000 words

 

Selection Process

Juror Keith F. Davis (Senior Curator of Photography at the Nelson-Atkins Museum ) and the Society’s Publications Committee will use a blind peer review process to select papers for publication and to choose New Contributors and Julian Wolff awards. Authors will be eligible for only a single award. The decisions of the Publications committee will be final.  Judging criteria include:

Scope and Quality of Research

Contribution to Existing Knowledge

Potential for Future Development/Seeding New Research

Clarity of Writing

Use of Original Historical Sources

Use and Interpretation of Photographs As Primary Source Documents

 

Timeline

Submission of a 300-word abstract by January 15

Review and notification by February 1

Submission of completed manuscript with illustrations by March 1

Review process and notification of final selection by April 1

 

Submissions:

Send electronic submission to: Diane Filippi diane_dagsoc@comcast.net

Questions: Please contact Jeremy Rowe Jeremy.rowe@asu.edu

Please include in the subject line: Submission for 2017 Daguerreian Society Call for Papers

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12201073283?profile=originalWith the introduction of photography in the 19th century, printers no longer had to transfer the image manually onto the printing surface, but were offered the possibility to transfer the image by sensitizing the printing surface and exposing it to light, through a negative or positive depending on the printing technique.

With computer technology, negative or positive film is often no longer necessary. The image is transformed into dots by the computer and the image is transferred to the printing surface by light exposure in the machine.

Since their invention photomechanical printing techniques have continued to develop further. There are many similar variations of the same technique, each named differently by its inventor. This can be very confusing in the process of identification.

In this seminar the most important photomechanical techniques of relief, intaglio, planographic, screen and digital prints will be presented.

The different techniques (artistic and reproduction) will be examined by studying original prints under magnification. Two participants will share a stereomicroscope. The distinctive characteristics of each technique will be worked out through closely looking at the original prints, and exercises in identification.

The two day course provides an opportunity to look at a great number and variety of original prints and to develop skills in the identification of their techniques. There will also be the opportunity to compare photomechanical with manual prints.

Identification of photomechanical prints

April 12-13, 2018 at Papierrestaurierung Hildegard Homburger, 10555 Berlin, Germany

Hosted by Hildegard Homburger in cooperation with the Internationale

Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Archiv-, Buch- und Grafikrestauratoren

(IADA)  http://www.iada-home.org

The language of the Seminar will be English.

Maximum participants: 8

Costs: 330 Euro or 285 Euro for IADA-members 

Registration requests should be sent to: hombu@freenet.de

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Film: Love,Cecil screening

12201080655?profile=originalFrom 1 December, London's Bertha DocHouse cinema is screening Love, Cecil (2017 / 99 mins) the new film from documentarian Lisa Immordino Vreeland. The film is a portrait of the celebrated and sometimes controversial photographer and costume designer, Cecil Beaton, who won multiple Academy Awards for his work on Gigi and My Fair Lady.

Tracking his fifty year career which spanned multiple worlds from British royalty to fashion to Hollywood, Love, Cecil offers a warm yet frank reflection of his life. Filmmaker Lisa Immordino Vreeland (Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict) weaves passages from Beaton’s diaries – voiced by Rupert Everett – with archival interviews featuring his famous friends and foes to bring Beaton’s world to life.

Further information about the film, including a trailer, can be found here: http://dochouse.org/cinema/screenings/love-cecil.

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November 2017: This was the best photography exhibition which wasn't an exhibition - because it was a "display" - that I saw on my recent trip to Europe. Why was it the best? Because this is what strong, insightful photography can do: it can capture life; it can document different cultures; and it can be a powerful agent for social change.

I remember London in the 1970s. I lived in Clapham (Claiff-ham Heights) and Stockwell (we called it St. Ockwell) near Brixton at the time. I remember the Brixton riot of 1981, as I was living in my little room down the road, as the cars burnt and the buildings were smashed. "Brixton in South London was an area with serious social and economic problems. The whole United Kingdom was affected by a recession by 1981, but the local African-Caribbean community was suffering particularly high unemployment, poor housing, and a higher than average crime rate." (Wikipedia) People felt oppressed by recession, racism, the police, and by the establishment, for this was the era of Margaret Thatcher and her bullies. But as these photographs show, there was such a vibrant sense of community in these areas as they sought to 'stand firm in England' because it was their home.

It is our great privilege that we have the images of this very talented group of photographers who documented Black communities in London during this time: Raphael Albert, Bandele 'Tex' Ajetunmobi, James Barnor, Colin Jones, Neil Kenlock, Dennis Morris, Syd Shelton and Al Vandenberg. And I find it heartening that all of these photographers were documenting their community at the same time. The African-Caribbean diaspora is part of the genetic makeup of the UK and multiculturalism, from where ever it emanates, should be valued in societies around the world. It enriches contemporary culture through an understanding and acceptance of difference.

Against racism; against fascism; against discrimination. For freedom from oppression and the right to be heard.

Dr Marcus Bunyan for Art Blart

SEE THE FULL POSTING AT https://wp.me/pn2J2-9yc

#StanFirminnaInglan #London #AfricanCaribbean #Brixton #documentaryphotography #photography #art #blackandwhitephotography #racism #oppression #Blackcommunity #Britain #multiculturalism

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Syd Shelton (born 1947)
Southhall Carnival against the Nazis
1979, printed 2012
Gelatin silver print on paper
Gift Eric and Louise Franck London Collection 2016

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Bandele Ajetunmobi (1921-1994)
East End, London
c. 1975, printed 2012
C-print on paper
Gift of Eric and Louise Franck London Collection 2016

LIKE ART BLART ON FACEBOOK

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12201072298?profile=originalThis conference addresses the rich relationship between photography and visual history at the intersection of material practices. Recent focus on materiality and material culture of photographs and films by such authors as Elizabeth Edwards, Chris Morton, Gregg Mittman, Paula Amad, Jennifer Tucker, Joan Schwartz, Steve Edwards and many others has resulted in the proliferation of histories that have at their centre a range of photographic processes. The actors in these histories could be said to belong to a sort of ‘gestural collective’ (Sibum, 1995), churning out the stuff of visual history. For historians who have benefitted from increasing access to the materials of visual history, the gap in knowledge about material practices has been rendered more defined.  At the same moment, it seems increasingly difficult to access these material practices as analogue is forgotten and digital is less well understood. Historians have examined the affective and fluid qualities of photographs, and have turned their attention to past chemical processes and processing, and have attempted recreating them. Photographic technologies such as cameras and lantern projectors have also experienced a renovated interest. Visual histories are more and more about the physical qualities of photographic production, circulation and dissemination.

Photography, video and film, however, are not only historical sources, but active research outputs. Historians like Gregg Mitman and Peter Galison have become filmmakers, producing films, websites, and documentaries (The Land Beneath our Feet, and Containment respectively). Their research is not only based on visual materials, but also articulated in a visual way. The visual is, in their case, a ‘form of reasoning’. This is not the only way in which material practices have changed visual history. The multiplication of digitisation projects in all historical fields demonstrates a pervading interest in visualising data, opening new avenues for the exploration of large collections of images. Aware of the potential of this approach, many universities have started to teach visual history in a range of departments.

The PHRC Annual Conference 2018 is seeking proposals for 20-minute papers on intersections of material practices and visual histories. It wishes to explore questions such as, how can we do visual histories, and how can visual history account for the material aspects of photographic practices.

We invite proposals related but not limited to the following themes:

  • Material archives
  • Visual history and pedagogy
  • Processes and practices of digitalisation
  • Visual communication through photography and/or film
  • Re-creating the past
  • Material aspects of computer programming in visual history

Proposals must be between 250 and 300 words, clearly indicating the applicant’s name, title, affiliation and email address.

Submission deadline: 5 January 2018

For any queries please emailphrc@dmu.ac.uk

See more here: https://photographichistory.wordpress.com/annual-conference-2018/

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