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Our aim is to create a museum that engages people as it evolves. Our membership scheme is an exciting part of that vision. Your role is to implement a marketing strategy that promotes Museum membership and encourages our audience to be a part of our future. Through a combination of literature, events and local business liaison, you will help to attract a diverse membership base, grow membership levels and, ultimately, generate maximum income for the Museum.
Experience of marketing practices in a similar sector is essential, including direct marketing and print production. You must be adept at using databases and your administrative skills will be exceptional, with strong attention to detail. Flexible and adaptable, you will be comfortable liaising with a wide range of people: members of the public, internal and external stakeholders.
This is an opportunity to help grow the Museum’s reputation, build a loyal audience and ensure that we enjoy a profitable, prosperous future.
For more details click here.
Hours: 35 per week
We regret that we can only respond to successful applicants. No agencies please. We are an equal opportunities employer.
Closing Date: 19th April 2010
Interview date: 26th April 2010
Award winning, visionary and truly unique, The National Media Museum embraces photography, film, television, radio and the web. Part of the NMSI family of museums, it aims to engage, inspire and educate through comprehensive collections, innovative education programmes and a powerful yet sensitive approach to contemporary issues.
BPH reported that the Culture Minister had placed an export bar on a Fenton orientialist photograph sold at at auction. The Art Newspaper reports that the National Media Museum in Bradford, Britain’s main collection of photography, hopes to raise the money, and a spokeswoman told us it is “assessing potential funding opportunities”.
Pasha and Bayadère was staged in Fenton’s London studio, with the photographer posing as a pasha (Ottoman official) watching a bayadère (dancing girl). The role of the musician was taken by Frank Dillon, an artist friend of Fenton. The photograph passed to one of Dillon’s descendants, and it has just been sold privately to a foreign buyer for £109,000. An export licence is being deferred until 1 May, to enable a UK buyer to match the price, and this period could be extended for a further three months. Only one other example of this important Orientalist photograph survives, which was bought by the Getty Museum in 1984.
Photographs are only occasionally subject to UK export licence deferral (they have to be over 50 years old and worth above £12,160 before this can be considered). In one case a vintage photograph which did not have an export licence was exported illegally. Alice wearing a Garland, by Charles Dodgson (the writer Lewis Carroll), was sold for £55,000 in 2001 and then illegally shipped to the United States. The UK authorities would welcome information on its present whereabouts.
Photographer Trevor Porter has started a campaign to have February 11 called Fox Talbot Day, in memory of the photographic pioneer Henry Fox Talbot who was born on that day in 1800.
Mr Porter organised a dinner for photographers from Wiltshire and beyond at The George Inn in Lacock last Thursday to kick off his campaign. Fox Talbot is considered to be one of the founding fathers of modern photography and 2010 is the 175th anniversary of the year that he created the first photographic negative.
About 45 people attended the dinner, held just before the Fox Talbot museum reopened to the public following a revamp on Saturday. Museum curator Roger Watson also attended. Mr Porter said: “It was a celebration dinner and we hope to have it every year. I would like to see February 11 called Fox Talbot Day in recognition of his importance to modern photography.”
Among the guests at the dinner were Fox Talbot’s great-great-granddaughter Janet Burnett Brown and John Taylor, the great-great-grandson of Joseph Foden, the carpenter who made the first camera for Fox Talbot. The George Inn’s restaurant was built on land that was once Foden’s carpentry workshop.
Photo: Janet Burnett Brown, the great-great-granddaughter of William Henry Fox Talbot, and John Taylor, the great-great-grandson of Joseph Foden, the man who made the first camera, with museum curator Roger Watson in the Fox Talbot corner of The George Inn.
Copyright Trevor Porter/Wiltshire Times
The official press release is as follows:
Wiltshire’s Fox Talbot Museum in the village of Lacock is to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the photographic negative with a series of special events throughout the summer. The discovery of the process of reproducing images through negatives was made by former Lacock Abbey owner William Henry Fox Talbot in 1835, when he reproduced a grainy image of a window in Lacock Abbey.
This pioneering discovery has changed the world forever, enabling future generations to capture the lives and world around them, something which had only previously been possible through talented painters. The creation of the photographic negative is well documented in Fox Talbot Museum & Village which was created in honour of Henry.
The museum is open year round and from 1st to 3rd May, 2010 is organising a special photography festival to celebrate the anniversary. Other special anniversary events will continue to occur throughout the year.
Bryn Jones of VisitWiltshire’s Tourism Partnerhship says, “It’s quite fitting that we will be celebrating the birth of photography in Lacock, Wiltshire this year, as the village has become famous as the location of many a feature film and TV drama. Capturing these using modern day camera equipment would have been unthinkable without the pioneering efforts of early photography by William Henry Fox Talbot 175 years ago.”
Last year BPH reported that Derek Wood's excellent website dealing with his publications and research was to close early in 2010 (click here to see the original posting). Derek Wood has emailed to say that the 'Midley History of early Photography' will now continue to be permanently available. The British Library has archived it at the UK Webarchive and it can be found here: http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20100311230213/http://www.midley.co.uk/:
The archiving has been done well without any missing pages, images or links. It will continue to be live at the original address until July.
The Midley site also had a subdomain, 'Midley Search39 on History of Photography' ( http://search39.midley.co.uk/ ) intended to provide a way of making a single search over approximately thirty-nine websites judged by Wood to be of high value for the history of photography. Sadly, that will go off line in July. The UK WebArchive have rightly decided, that as 'Search39' depended on an external service, that it was not appropriate to archive it along with the main www.midley.co.uk site. However, all is not lost, for the Midley Search39 facility will remain available at least for several, or many, years at a Google Custom Search engine (CSE) page at
http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=015777431052609043336%3Apoauettouhg
This is excellent news. As anyone who has read Derek Wood's published papers and research notes knows they remain key texts for their respective subjects. Their continued availability outside of their original publications is to be warmly welcomed.
John Wheeley Gough Gutch was born in Bristol in 1808 and was involved in photography from its earliest days. A contemporary of Talbot, Gutch was experimenting with photography as early as 1841. Partially paralysed and using the wet-collodion process he travelled many miles of rural tracks taking photographs. His work, which influenced the poets and painters of the period, has remained virtually undiscovered for more than 150 years. The images in the book concentrate on his English landscapes and portraits from trips that he undertook between 1856- 59 to Malvern, North Devon, Gloucestershire, Cornwall and The Lake District.
The book selects more than 100 images from five albums, from two photograph collections, and publishes them for the first time and is accompanied by a biography of Gutch.
In search of the Picturesque. The English photographs of J. W. G. Gutch 1856/59
Ian Sumner
ISBN 978-1-906593-27-8
192 pages
£14.95
Orders to: sales@redcliffepress.co.uk
Westcliffe Books, an imprint of Redcliffe Press Ltd. 81g, Pembroke Road, Bristol. BS8 3EA. tel: 0117 9737207
On loan are objects from the 12th-century Wiltshire home, including Talbot’s evanescent 1839 Roofline of Lacock Abbey. It's $400,000 for the image, which measures about 4 inches by 5 inches. Another photo of St. Mary’s Church is tagged at $350,000, telling of its scarcity. A glass-top case displays the print from which the tree in the window was copied; a color chart made by Fox Talbot; and a book of pressed botanical specimens that his mother collected, identified and dated - memorabilia borrowed from Lacock Abbey.
A draft guide has been published to the photographers and collections of photographs held by the National Monuments Record at English Heritage. The guide has been compiled by Ian Leith and is intended to help users with the new EH Archives website: see www.englishheritagearchives.org.uk
A copy of the guide can be Archilist 2010.03.24 FINAL 01.doc.
His new exhibition entitled "The Collector: Beyond The Amateur - A collector's perspective on the history of photography (see 'Events' for info), begins with work by 18th-century scientist Adriaan Paauw, who De Nooy classes as “the inventor of photography.” Around 1790, this obscure assistant of botanist Sebald Brugmans developed a photographic procedure in which he was able to “copy” objects in the form of photograms ..........
The shortlisted titles for the Best Photography Book are:
- Oil by Edward Burtynsky (Steidl)
- Looking In: Robert Frank’s The Americans by Robert Frank, edited by Sarah Greenough (Steidl)
- Paul Graham by Paul Graham (Steidl)
- Japanese Photobooks of the 1960s and ’70s by Ryūichi Kaneko and Ivan Vartanian (Aperture Foundation)
The shortlisted titles for the Best Moving Image Book are:
- The Tactile Eye by Jennifer M. Barker (University of California Press)
- Being Hal Ashby: The Life of a Hollywood Rebel by Nick Dawson (The University Press of Kentucky)
- Eisenstein on the Audiovisual by Robert Robertson (I. B. Tauris)
- The New Yorker Theater by Toby Talbot (Columbia University Press)
- Michael Haneke’s Cinema by Catherine Wheatley (Berghahn Books)
Over 150 titles were submitted across the two categories for the awards, which have been narrowed down to a final nine books by the two judging panels chaired by Philippe Garner (Photography) and Francine Stock (Moving Image). The judges were looking for clearly written, well illustrated works, which make a significant contribution to the understanding of photography and/or the moving image.
The photography shortlist includes: an essay by Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, chronicling the infrastructure of the oil industry and the implications of our dependence on the fuel; an expanded re-issue of legendary photographer Robert Frank’s seminal work The Americans; a retrospective of Paul Graham, the pioneering UK photographer and winner of the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2009; a survey of the Japanese photographic print culture of the 60s and 70s, which has since had a profound influence on photographic publishing worldwide.
Philippe Garner comments:
The field was strong and the excellent shortlist reflects a wide range of approaches. They include: single-minded and engaging investigations of sometimes very narrow topics, made riveting by the passion of the authors; excellent monographs on or by photographers from all areas of photographic practice; and a number of quirky, category-defying projects.
The moving image shortlist includes: Jennifer M. Barker’s theory that the connection between film and viewer goes beyond the visual and aural, to become something visceral; a portrait of the life of the underappreciated rebel 1970s Hollywood Director, Hal Ashby; Robert Robertson’s revealing exploration of Eisenstein’s ideas about the audiovisual in cinema; memoirs by Toby Talbot, co-owner of Manhattan’s influential home of art-house film, the New Yorker Theatre; the first English language analysis of the films of Austrian Director, Michael Haneke, by UK film critic Catherine Wheatley.
Francine Stock comments:
The books that impressed us above all were the ones that inspired a deeper love of film. The shortlisted authors each combined passion and original research in a format that suited their subject. Whether it was intimate memoir, biography, history, critique or a call for a radical new understanding of the way we experience cinema, these books were both focussed and involving.
Read about this 160-year old photographic mystery and Hill's claim that he invented colour photography back in 1851 in this April's issue of the Smithsonian found here:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/A-160-Year-Old-Photographic-Mystery.html
An article on John Thomson was recently covered by the national press too:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article7013815.ece
In the hope that this does not appear to be merely a self-serving announcement, we are posting the launch of our new web-site in the belief that it contains information that may be useful to list members:
• A newly proposed method worked out by Ken Jacobson & paper conservator, Jane McAusland, to describe the condition of photographic prints on the internet or for museum archivists.
• Collectors’ Resources. This section provides a wide bibliography arranged by subject, a glossary of 19th century photographic processes, advice on collecting photographs and links to useful photography sites.
• Information on books we have written
Also, for those interested:
• News of our latest project
• A range of photographic stock is presented for the first time on the web site in a series of ‘Galleries’.
I apologise if people have already received this message by direct posting. We hope people will find the site useful and enjoyable.
Best,
Ken Jacobson
The exhibition, which also includes oil paintings, watercolours, decorative arts, jewels and textiles, examines the art collected, acquired and/or commissioned by Victoria and Albert during their marriage which was cut short by Prince Albert's sudden death in December 1861.
The exhibition is open until 31 October 2010.
To go straight to the photographs:
This exciting and new exhibition at the Harry Ransom Centre, University of Texas scheduled for this coming fall/winter is made up of two complementary and interweaving narratives—the history of photography as told through the collection's imagery, and the history of the collection's formation and methodology. The Gernsheims Collection will be on display alongside works by unknown or lesser-known artists who used various means to improve or to exploit the relatively new invention of photography. The exhibition will highlight key moments in the history of photography, important technological and ideological shifts in the act of picture making, and narratives that served the Gernsheims as key points of collecting.
Further information will be provided in the 'Events' section of this blog as it becomes available. For those who can't quite make it to Texas, there is a fascinating on-line site (http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/wfp/) to view one of the Centre's most prominent permanent exhibiton i.e., the first photograph (View from the Window at Le Gras) by Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce - a great background read to the forthcoming NMeM's conference in October, as reported exclusively by the BPH blog creator.
Photo: The First Photograph (View from the Window at Le Gras. ca1826, heliograph, in original frame, 25.8 x 29.0 cm) housed in its original presentational frame and sealed within an atmosphere of inert gas in an airtight steel and plexiglas storage frame, must be viewed under controlled lighting in order for its image to be visible.
More details of the requirements the Natuonal Media Museum require for its London presence have emerged which start to add shape to the project...
The National Media Museum is seeking an architectural and engineering team to undertake the design and onstruction of its London Galleries Project that consists of a suite of facilities created for a range of cultural programming, which will open in September 2012. The National Media Museum’s team of curators, programmers, and educators are preparing the programme for the London Galleries Project, which will focus on the contemporary issues and histories of the museum’s collecting areas of photography, film, television, radio and the Web. There are three equally important themes within this programme:- Temporary exhibitions that centre on pivotal moments and themes within the histories of photography and film
- A programme of screenings, courses, discussions, performances, and recording sessions that map the creative potency of the media we encompass
- A focus upon the production and dissemination of printed media manifested through an open shelf library, the creation of publications, and debates about the future of publishing.
The founding principles of the London Galleries project revolve around providing the spaces and the levels of welcome for visitors to step over the traditional dividing line between the ‘institution’ and the ‘public’ and, instead, create a space within which our collective points of view, practices and experiences are synergised into the programme of debates, screenings, book launches, courses, conversations, exhibitions and the very life of this media-oriented space.
Relevant deadlines:
Proposed Procurement Timetable
Closing date for expressions of interest: 12 noon - 3rd April 2010
Response to Pre Qualifying Questionnaires: 26th February to 3rd April 2010 (37 days)
Confirmation of Suppliers to be invited to Tender: 13th April 2010
Tender Programme: 14th April to 23rd May 2010 (40 days)
Award of Contract: 15th June 2010
Appointment: 24th June 2010
Further details:
With a 1500m² floor plan, the London Galleries project will include:
- Elegant, flexible exhibition spaces that can accommodate historical photographs, new media installations, and film and video artworks
- A screening and performance space
- Private rooms for study, discussions, recording and editing sound and vision
- A large, welcoming lounge and library area
- Café bar and kitchen facilities
- Other services
In order for the architectural scheme for the London Galleries project to embody our desired ethos, it will need to be thoughtful on a number of levels. We will require:
- Climate control that considers both the current environmental conditions required for museum-standard exhibitions and adheres to NMSI’s responsible use of energy
- Acoustic scheme that considers the range and nature of our activities, where live performance and quiet contemplation are required in adjoining spaces
- A digital, audio and visual environment that befits a forward thinking and media based project
- A suite of facilities that are truly flexible and respond to the day and night programming of the entire but also specific areas of the space
- A design identity that is coherent on both macro and micro levels, from the use of the space’s existing features to the materials used for gallery and library furniture.
We are looking for an organisation to provide integrated design services for this exciting project. It is vital that key services work closely together, these include but are not limited to the following: Mechanical & Electrical Services, Environmental Engineers, Multi-media and digital environment specialists, Structural Engineers, Audio-Visual and Lighting Engineers, Other services to be defined as required.
NMSI would at all times wish to be involved in the short-listing and final selection of sub-contractors at each stage of the project. The successful organisation will work with an externally appointed Programme Manager and the Major Projects Group within NMSI. QS Services and CDM Co-ordinator will be appointed outside of this tender.
This project is currently not fully funded and will be awarded on the understanding that break clauses will be incorporated at fundraising milestones.
NMSI will be following OJEU guidelines and utilising the ‘Restricted’ tendering process.
The National Media Museum, Bradford, and Getty Conservation Institute, have announced a major international conference on recent advancements in scientific, art historical, and conservation research relating to the photographs which Joseph Nicéphore Niépce brought to England in 1827. The conference will take place in Bradford from 13-14 October 2010 and additionally will provide a unique opportunity to examine three Niépce plates out of their frames.
This two-day conference will present the results of new, unpublished research and scientific investigations, which have been undertaken during the NMeM and GCI Collaborative Research Project. In the Royal Photographic Society Collection at the National Media Museum are three plates by Niépce and the conference will address the research and conservation of these photographic treasures, and will discuss future conservation measures that would provide for their long-term protection and preservation. The reason why Niépce brought these plates to England, and their subsequent history, will also be outlined more fully than previously published.
A copy of the announcement brochure is available here: Niépce First Announcement.pdf
Aims and objectives
The conference will examine:
• Joseph Nicéphore Niépce and his work
• The first six photographs brought to England by Niépce in context
• Scientific investigation into the three Niépce photographs in the NMeM collection
• Dating and conservation of the original frames
• Conservation and preservation issues related to the Niépce plates
The speakers have yet to be formally announced.
Registration
Attendance to the conference is limited. All registrations will be handled on a first-come, first served basis.
Formal registration for the Niépce in England conference will take place in May 2010. To register initial interest, contact the NmeM at rsvp.nmem@nationalmediamuseum.org.uk. The museum will hold your details on file and email you registration information in May 2010.
The cost is:
• Regular registration (does not include dinner) £90
• Student registration at reduced rate £70
• Wednesday evening dinner £22
Information
For more information, contact the museum via email at rsvp.nmem@nationalmediamuseum.org.uk and it museum will respond to your query accordingly. If you would like to make contact by post, please send correspondence to:
Niépce Conference
c/o Cultural Events Organiser
National Media Museum
Pictureville, Bradford
West Yorkshire BD1 1NQ United Kingdom
For those BPH-bloggers interested in the technological developments in photographic processes from the origins of the medium until the advent of digital photography, there is an interesting book just published in Jan 2010. Written by Sarah Kennel with Diane Waggoner and Alice Carver-Kubik, the book is a compilation of essential information about the predominant negative, positive, and photomechanical processes in use since 1839.
It offers concise technical descriptions of the processes and their common uses, and is illustrated with museum-quality illustrations (some at high magnification to show print characteristics) and diagrams indicating the basic structure of each negative or print process.
The guidebook is organized alphabetically for convenient reference and includes a time line with the major dates of use for each process over the past 170 years, an extensive glossary, and an index of variant names. The 104-page softcover book features 57 color illustrations and 27 diagrams, and is available through Amazon.co.uk (ISBN-10: 0500288704).
More importantly, an exhibition (of the same name) to complement this book is currently being held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC until 14th March 2010 - you still have time to fly there ! Refer to the 'Events' section for a very interesting overview of the exhibition and an independent review.
Click for a podcast interview with curator Sarah Kennel.
