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This is an exciting time to join the Libraries and Museums team as Curator, Photography. We recently acquired a major photographic archive of Document Scotland photojournalist, Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert, and have just launched a showcase of our James Valentine Photographic Collection at the V&A Dundee. In 2021 we opened the new Wardlaw Museum after a major capital project to extend and completely redisplay it, including the creation of a new temporary exhibitions space. We are in the process of redesigning our research and teaching support services and continue to expand our digitisation and online engagement with the collections.

With a degree in a relevant subject area, or equivalent knowledge of photography, photographic processes and collections management, the successful candidate will have a combination of curatorial and project management experience, interpretative skill, and ideally some experience in Higher Education contexts. Working alongside specialist collections and curatorial staff, as well as staff in the Experience and Engagement team, the postholder will join an active and ambitious Libraries and Museums unit at an exciting moment of change and renewal.

Further information and informal enquiries may be directed to Jessica Burdge, email: jab8@st-andrews.ac.uk or Dr Catriona McAra, email: cfmc1@st-andrews.ac.uk

 Details: https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3426/0/355863/889/curator-photography-ad3938sb

Helmut Newton (1920-2004) was one of the most singular and successful photographers of his generation, known for his provocative fusion of fashion, portrait, and erotic subjects. Philippe Garner, a 50-plus years veteran of the art auction world, has admired Newton’s work since he discovered it in the late sixties.

He met Newton in 1975 and enjoyed his friendship until the photographer’s death in 2004. Now Vice-President of the Helmut Newton Foundation, he looks back on Newton’s life and work.

Helmut Newton: Living to make pictures. In conversation with Philippe Garner
Tuesday 12 July, 6.30 pm BST
Online: https://benuri.org/whats-on/

A commemorative blue plaque in honour of photographer and business woman Daisy Edis has been unveiled at her former home at The Green, Gilesgate, Durham. It was unveiled by her grandson George Spence. 

Daisy Edis (1887 (sic) - 1964) built up the photographic and studio business founded by her father John R Edis in Durham and earned national and international recognition. She was also one of the founding members of the re-formed Durham Photographic Society in the late 1940s. She was a member of the Royal Photographic Society from 1933 and gained her Associate the same year and Fellowship in 1935. She remained a member until her death. She was also a Fellow of the Institute of British Photographer. Edis started working in photography aged 15 years. 

The City of Durham Parish Council authorised and organised the ceremony. 'ne of the event organisers, Dr Lucy Szablewska, said that Daisy's plaque was one of a number of initiatives across Co Durham to honour more women with blue plaques. Carl McSorley who runs the replica Edis photo shop and studio at the Beamish Open Air museum attended, formally dressed in bowler hat and vintage suit for the occasion.

Daisy’s father John R Edis founded the highly succesful photographic business in Durham, in the late 19th century. After his death daughter Daisy carried on the business, expanding its range of activities, including work, some of it highly technical, for Durham University. Although Daisy was married as a young woman and became Mrs Spence sadly her husband died after a few years and Daisy continued to use her maiden name of Edis by which she was well known.

According to the RPS's Photographic Journal (June1964) Edis specialised in portraiture and was well-known for her work with the cathedral, university and school in Durham. She was one of the last users of the platinum process and her work was widely shown in Britain Europe, Australia,Japan and the United States. 

With thanks to Lucy Szablewska 

Scotland's Panoptician: Investigating the Image-World of George Washington Wilson is an online exhibition curated by Ashleigh Black, a doctoral student in Film & Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen. It uses, and takes inspiration from, the University of Aberdeen's collection of around 38,000 glass plate negatives taken by Wilson and his company GWW & Co spanning the length and breadth of the British Empire. The collection was donated by local photographer Archie Strachan in the 1950s.

Take a look here: https://panopticvisions.omeka.net/exhibits/show/scotlandspanoptician/about-george-washington-wilson

During the 1850s and 1860s, the craze for stereo photography was at its height, and this period coincided with the completion of the construction of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, ahead of its opening on 8 December 1864. Work had started on the bridge back in 1831, but was abandoned for 11 years between 1842 and 1853 when funds ran out. Sadly Brunel himself died in 1859 before the bridge could be completed.

The progress of the construction of the bridge, like other Brunel projects such as the SS Great Eastern, was documented in glorious 3-D by a number of different working photographers who were enthusiastic advocates of stereo photography. These cards bring this incredible work to life as no mono photographs ever could and are available at the Clifton Suspension Bridge https://cliftonbridge.org.uk, as well as here, directly from the LSC shop. 

Size: 90 mm x 180 mm
Presented in a plastic wallet with complimentary Steam Punk OWL designed by Brian May. £10.00

See: https://shop.londonstereo.com/clifton-suspension-bridge-early-stereo-views-of-brunels-masterpiece.html

The latest in Grant Scott's podcast series In search of Bill Jay is now available to listen online or through your normal podcast channels. The series extends and adds to Grant's acclaimed film which looks at Jay's life and legacy. 

Listen to the latest part and the earlier podcasts in the series click here: 

Part 4 - https://unitednationsofphotography.com/2022/06/23/in-search-of-bill-jay-episode-4-the-sixties-end-and-the-future-is-bright/
Part 3 - https://unitednationsofphotography.com/2022/05/16/podcast-in-search-of-bill-jay-episode-3-tony-ray-jones-diane-arbus-and-weegee-in-nyc/
Part 2 - https://unitednationsofphotography.com/2022/03/31/podcast-in-search-of-bill-jay-episode-2-a-grammar-school-boy-holland-park-parties-and-tony-ray-jones/
Part 1 - https://unitednationsofphotography.com/2022/03/17/podcast-in-search-of-bill-jay-episode-1-the-search-begins-it-was-a-snap-shot-magazine/

To view the film Do Not Bed: The photographic life of Bill Jay click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd47549knOU

I am organizing a conference entitled "Camera-Centered Histories of Photography," which will feature our own Dr Michael Pritchard as the keynote speaker.  The call for papers is attached. I would be delighted to see abstracts covering British photo history topics. Abstracts are due by 31 July.

Here's the call as a PDF: Camera conference CFP -- full text pasted below

Call for Papers

Camera-Centered Histories of Photography

Held online and at the California Museum of Photography (UCR), Riverside, CA

Friday December 2, 2022

Abstracts due July 31, 2022

What does our understanding of photographic technology tell us about photography? Scholars often frame the study of cameras through a media archaeology lens, such as Peter Buse’s examination of the Polaroid archives to contemplate what it contributes to our understanding of the ubiquitous instant photograph, or Jonathan Crary, whose examination of the “observer” in Victorian viewing evinces questions about modernity. Yet others neglect the role of the camera outright. This is not a disingenuous move; many photographers resent people asking about the device they use, because the question implies that the equipment, not the eye and mind, provided the skill. Photography’s relationship to its technology is equal parts intrinsic and fraught.

This one-day conference interrogates what photo history looks like when we foreground the technology that made the images. We invite scholars and artists to address the place of the camera in photographic histories. Themes may include (but are not limited to):

-The relationship between the camera and image

-The place of digital image-making in relation to technology-centric concerns

-Case studies that foreground the camera with regard to a specific photographer/image-maker

-Social histories that foreground photographic technologies

-Media archaeology approaches to cameras and photographic technology

-Business, legal, or advertising histories about camera manufacturers

-The role of patents in the advancement of photographic technologies

-Design histories relating to cameras

 The conference will be held as a hybrid live event, on-site at the California Museum of Photography (Riverside, California) and livecast via Zoom. Papers can be presented in-person or online.

 The conference will include a keynote address by Dr Michael Pritchard, author of A History of Photography in Fifty Cameras (2014) and a tour of the Larry S. Pierce American field camera collection by collector Larry Pierce.

 Please submit abstracts of approximately 350 words for 20-minute presentations to Leigh Gleason, Director of Collections (California Museum of Photography/UCR ARTS) at leigh.gleason@ucr.edu

Orphan Works are creative works that are subject to copyright for which one or more of the rights holders is either unknown or cannot be found. Understanding how Orphan Works in relation to photographic collections can be a bit of a minefield. To help you navigate we are running a virtual event with Margaret Haig from the government's Intellectual Property Office, on Wednesday 6th July, 1pm via Zoom.

The talk will cover important things you need to know in relation to working with Orphan Work images; how you can use them, how to seek out licenses and more.

To help you make the most of this session we would like you to submit any questions for the event beforehand via this form: https://forms.gle/Zey1eqg8kXm2WriJ6 Please note that Margaret will not be able to answer questions on specific legal disputes, and we cannot guarantee to be able to answer all questions. However, if you do send your questions ahead of the event we can research these to give you the best possible answers.

Booking is free, with the option of a donation to support PCN's work. You will receive a confirmation email when you book, and the event link will be sent to you on the day of the event.

Orphan works and photography collections
Hosted by the Photographic Collections Network with the IPO
Online: 6 July 2022 at 1300 (BST)
Details and booking here: https://www.photocollections.org.uk/events/orphan-works-and-photo-collections

For the first time, an exhibition focuses on the photographs of the earliest local photographers from West and Central Africa. Since the late 19th century, they have been creating enchanting photographs together with their customers in open-air studios. The thought of future viewers was always present; for them, the people in front of the camera staged themselves in the way they wanted posterity to see them. The photographs are thus sharply differentiated from the images of colonial photographers, who served to confirm a backward, exotic other.

Using around one hundred original prints, the exhibition addresses the most important themes in the history of photography in West and Central Africa. The focus is on the peculiarities of this photo culture and the interrelationships with other local art forms.

"The Future is Blinking" is a quote by the Ghanaian photographer Philip Kwame Apagya (*1958) from the film Future Remembrance by Tobias Wendl (1997). Apagya thus refers to what he considers the most important task of photography in Ghana: creating memories for future generations with idealized portraits.

"The Future is Blinking" Early studio photography from West and Central Africa
Museum Rietberg
Gablerstrasse 15
CH-8002 Zurich
Switzerland: until 3 July 2022
Details: https://rietberg.ch/ausstellungen/the_future_is_blinking

Photographer John S Webb is British but has lived in Sweden since 1974.  In September the Omnibus Theatre, London, will show work that he made in 1972 in Stonhouse Street, Clapham, London. The exhibition will consist of the same images that he exhibited in the then Clapham Public Library in 1972. The photographs are to be shown in the same building which has changed from a library to theatre.

The work also exists as a book published in 2019 and a short film about it can be seen here: https://youtu.be/R-LWASZhIJg

Stonhouse Street 1972
Omnibus Theatre
1 Clapham Common Northside, London, SW4
6 September-2 October 2022
See: https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/

My new book is" The magic of Photo City". This book contains 13 articles on the history of photography and has been published in Persian in Iran by Kalhor Publications.

Photomonitor has published a short article by Annebella Pollen on the British porytrait photographer Carole Cutner who was active from 1968. She specialised in portraits of children, but also photographed royalty and figures from industry and business. She continues to work and is currently reviewing her archive. 

Read the piece here: https://photomonitor.co.uk/essay/extended-family-carole-cutners-photographic-life/

Auctioneers Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood of Exeter are offering the The photographic archive of Sir Harold Dudley Clayton, 10th Baronet of Clayton, Marden (1877-1951) over multiple lots in its Maritime auction on 21 June 2022.  The lots include glass plate negatives, albums and prints from the 1890s to later 1930s, and show racing, sailing and naval vessels. 

As a boat designer and builder Harold Clayton opened a yard on the site near the Charles Cooper boatyard on the shingle beneath Penarth Head, south of the Marine Hotel. As a keen photographer he also took numerous images of various boats and locations whilst attending regattas and other notable events. 

Maritime Sale
Tuesday, 21st June 2022
Okehampton Street, Exeter

Details here: https://www.bhandl.co.uk/sales/MA0021-westcountry-maritime-auction.aspx

This symposium celebrates the work of James Ravilious and Chris Chapman and marks 50 years since Ravilious and Chapman started their photographic careers in Devon. Speakers include Chapman, Ella Ravilious, Val Williams, Mark Haworth-Booth and Tessa Traegar.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
Exeter
1000-1700
https://rammuseum.org.uk/
Registration here: https://beaford.org/symposium

In the context of the University Art Association of Canada's 2022 conference, which will be taking place at the University of Toronto from October 27th to 29th, we invite contributions to the following in-person panel. The deadline for submission is June 30th.

Science Museum Group (SMG) is here to inspire futures and our Collection Services department underpin the care and management of our unique objects. Within Collection Services, the Photography team provide a professional, technical, and creative service making digital content for a diverse range of clients and stakeholders within SMG.

We are now looking for a Photographer to join us and establish a professional photography studio and service at the National Collections Centre (NCC) in Wroughton. This role is a permanent contract, working 35 hours per week.

Details and applications here

John Rylands Research Institute and Library has published Dr Christine Slobogin's blog posted titled Anonymous Anatomies: A Critical History of Visual Anonymity in Britain and America, 1870 – 1955 which was based in part on the John Rylands holdings. The blog and Dr Slobogin's research examines anonymity in medical imagery. 

Read it here: https://rylandscollections.com/2022/06/14/anonymous-anatomies-a-critical-history-of-visual-anonymity-in-britain-and-america-1870-1955/

Mike Wells is looking for a run of Weekly Illustrated magazine to consult for 1943 as part of research he is undertaking in to Jimmy Jarché.  In addition he is interested to know of anyone who may have a list of his assignments during the 1940s. Jarché's book People I Have Shot is too early for this, dating from the mid-1930s.

Please add comment below or email direct: mikewells@compuserve.com

A new photography festival Photo Frome is offering an extensive series of exhibitions, talks, workshops and other events. Two events that will be of particular interest to those interested in photographic history.

On 11 July David Lassman and Mick Yartes discuss Alice Seeley Harris who was a Frome resident. It will discuss the work of Alice Seeley, later Lady Harris. In collaboration with Frome Heritage Museum, which is featuring her in their Celebrated Women of Frome exhibition. Alice’s photography shocked the world in the early 1900s with her pictures of human rights abuses in the Belgian Congo, which led to King Leopold’s withdrawal, though her enduring legacy is not without controversy. (contains images which some might find disturbing). 

On 24 June Robin Ravilious will talk about her late husband James Ravilious, the internationally renowned  photographer who spent over 17 years in rural North Devon recording in intimate and affectionate detail the land, its people, their work, and their everyday lives. James started this work in 1972; more than 70,000 images later, his Beaford Archive work had become what the Royal Photographic Society called ‘a unique body of work, unparalleled at least in this country for its scale and quality‘. Robin will discuss James’s life (he died in 1999), his dedicated approach to his work, and the many influences that inspired him.

See full details and book here: https://photofrome.org/talks/

Image: James Ravilious © Beaford Arts digitally scanned !om a Beaford Archive negative. Courtesy The Beaford Archive