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Practical Ambrotype Class in London

Posted by Michael Pritchard on September 18, 2009 at 21:59

Scully & Osterman will offer an Ambrotype Class in London at Minnie Weisz Studio under the Victorian Arches, King's Cross, 123 Pancras Rd London NW1 1UN between 7-8 October 2009. The class will provide an introduction to the wet-plate collodion process and participants will make ambrotype portraits and still-lifes. The class size is limited to six students with two instructors: Mark Osterman and France Scully Osterman For more information visit: http://www.collodion.org/workshop.html. For details please email sculloster@gmail.com or call: Minnie at +44 (0)7974 311907 to register.

Obituary: Bill Jay (1940-2009)

Posted by Michael Pritchard on May 14, 2009 at 11:00

An influential figure in the study of photographic history during the late 1960s and 1970s Bill Jay died on 10 May 2009. Jay originally worked in Britain before moving to the United States in the mid-1970s. He was a regular writer on photographic history and was responsible for bringing to a wider audience a number of important early photographers including Sir Benjamin Stone, Frances Frith and Paul Martin. Born in Maidenhead in 1940 Jay received a grammar school education and spent two years at the Berkshire College of Art. He joined a consumer photographic magazine and worked for a number of others before becoming the first Editor/Director of Creative Camera and Album magazines. The latter achieved an international reputation as one of the best photographic magazines then available. During this time, he earned a living as a picture editor of a large circulation news/feature magazine and as the European manager of an international picture agency. Jay was the first Director of Photography at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and gave over 400 lectures to art schools, camera clubs, universities and wrote hundreds of articles for his own and other photographic journals as part of a one-man crusade to, in his own words, 'instill some life into the British photographic community'. In his own view his crusade met with a limited response and in 1972 he left Britain to study photography at the University of New Mexico with Beaumont Newhall and Van Deren Coke. He was awarded a MA in 1974 and a MFA in 1976 - his dissertation topic was on the nineteenth century British photographic Francis Bedford. In 1974 he founded the program of photographic studies at Arizona State University, where he taught history and criticism classes for twenty-five years becoming Professor of Art History. For four years he was a Board member of the Society for Photographic Education. Bill Jay published over 400 articles and was the author of more than twenty books on the history and criticsm of photography and he also contributed essays to monographs by well-known photographers, such as Jerry Uelsmann, Bill Brandt, Michael Kenna, and Bruce Barnbaum. His own photographs were widely published and exhibited, including a one-person show at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. His previous monograph, Photographers Photographed, included a selection of the thousands of portraits he has taken of prominent individuals if the medium of photography, a database of which is located at the Center of Creative Photography, which also houses his research archives. After retiring from Arizona State University in the late-1990s Jay moved from Mesa, Arizona to Mission Beach near San Diego and very recently to his adopted hometown of Samara on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. His legacy is his extensive writings and his archive which is housed at the Center for Creative Photography and consists of 177 linear feet of 'papers, writings, research files, teaching materials, audiovisual and photographic materials, books, periodicals, and computerized database of photographer and educator Bill Jay.' Some of the information for this obituary appeared on Bill Jays own website. Additional recent biographical information can be found here. Some of his publications include: Views on Nudes. Focal Press Ltd., London, 1972. A history of the nude as a subject for photographers, from 1840-1970. Second edition: 1980. Customs and Faces: Sir Benjamin Stone 1818-1914. Academy, Editions, London; St. Martin's Press, New York, 1972. Victorian Cameraman: Francis Frith's Views of Rural England 1850-1898. David and Charles, Devon, England, 1973. Victorian Candid Camera: Paul Martin 1864-1944. David and Charles, Devon, England, 1973. Essays and Photographs: Robert Demachy 1859-1936. Academy Editions, London: St. Martin's Press, New York, 1974. Models, Messages, Manipulations. Unique, handmade book of words and pictures. Acquired by Art Museum, University of New Mexico for permanent collection, 1976. Negative/ Positive: A Philosophy of Photography. Klendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Second edition: 1982. Reprinted 1989 for Montana State University. Light Verse on Victorian Photography. Limner Press, Arizona, 1981. Anthology of poetry from the 19th century press. Limited Edition: 500 copies, numbered and signed. Route 60 (with James Hajicek). Limited edition, hand-printed, leather bound livre-de-luxe, containing tipped-in original photographs. Friends of Photography at ASU, 1981, through private donation. Series of essays in British Journal of Photography, later collated into Cyanide and Spirits. 1980s. Photographers Photographed. A selection of my personal portraits in monograph form. Peregrine Smith, Utah, 1983. Bernard Shaw: On Photography (with Margaret Moore). The first comprehensive collection of critical essays and images by Shaw. Peregrine Smith, Utah, 1989. Occam's Razor: an Outside-In View of Contemporary Photography. Anthology of essays on 20th century issues. Nazraeli Press, Munich, Germany, 1992. The Photographers: Volume 1. Portfolio of photographic portraits and written profiles. Images printed in collotype by James Hajicek. Limited edition, numbered and signed. Nazraeli Press, Munich, Germany, 1992. U.S. Photo Guide (with Aimee Linhoff). Resource index to over 2,000 institutions, workshops, museums, galleries, periodicals, individuals etc. in academic/fine-art photography. Nazraeli Press, Munich, Germany,1993. Some Rollicking Bull: Light Verse, and worse, on Victorian photography. Anthology of ballads, sonnets, odes and songs as well as humorous, strange and odd items from the pages of 19 century photographic periodicals. Nazraeli Press, Munich, Germany,1994. On Being a Photographer: A Practical Guide [with David Hurn - Magnum Photos]. LensWork Publishing, 1997. And subsequent editions. On Looking at Photographs: A Practical Guide [with David Hurn - Magnum Photos]. LensWork Publishing, 2000. Cyanide and Spirits: an Inside-Out View of Early Photography. Anthology of essays on 19th century issues. Nazraeli Press, Munich, Germany, 1991. 61 Pimlico: the Secret Journal of Henry Hayler. Nazraeli Press, Munich, Germany, 1998. Movie option rights acquired by Coppos Films, Los Angeles. Sun in the Blood of the Cat. An anthology of essays on 19th and 20th century photography. Nazraeli Press, 2001. Bill Brandt -One Picture Book No. 9. Limited edition, Nazraeli Press, 2002. Men Like Me. Portraits of homeless men in a small California seaside town. Nazraeli Press, 2005. Snapshots. Photographs of amateur photographers with their cameras at picture places in Britain, Europe, USA and other sites. Bill Jay's Album, Volume1. A collection of portraits of photographers, with extended commentaries, reminiscences...

Workshop series: Wedgwood to Bromoil

Posted by Michael Pritchard on October 20, 2009 at 3:04

Terry King writes...As people are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the ability of digital photography to meet their creative needs, there is a corresponding revival of interest in the craftsmanship and the aesthetic of the hands-on or alternative photography included my Wedgwood to Bromoil course of workshops. Examples of processes included in the workshop can be found on www.hands-on-pictures.com.The course gives everyone hands-on practical experience. The excitement of the workshops is that the ‘students’ are inquisitive people who want to know the science and history of the processes so that they can use them more effectively.. Apart from London’s professional printers and amateur printers of the highest standing, those attending the ‘Wedgwood to Bromoil’ course usually include people from undergraduate to PhD level. The programme covers: • Wedgwood’s process presented to The Royal Institution in 1804 • Niepce’s asphaltum prints (1822-26) • The cyanotype and chrysotype (gold) and the revised versions the Cyanotype rex and the chrysotype Rex • Salt printing (1841) • Albumen • Carbon • Platinum printing • Gravure and photo-etching • Kallitypes • Gum bichromate • Bromoil and bromoil transfer Hands-on-Pictures will still be running workshops on individual processes on request, see www.Hands-on-pictures.com My work in alternative processes has been described as ‘awe inspiring’ and of ‘great beauty’ and my teaching as both inspiring and practical The course will be for one day a week for fifteen weeks. There will be a maximum of six students. If there is a demand we will run a second course on a different day ( this has engendered some friendly rivalry between those on the different days). The workshops are provisionally planned for Fridays over fifteen weeks starting in January. The weeks will not be consecutive but grouped according to the needs of both the course itself and those of the students.. The workshops will take place at the Hands-On Pictures studio in Richmond, Surrey.. The cost will be £1,000 for the fifteen days. Demonstration materials are included in the cost students will need to get their own materials and tools should they wish to make their own prints during the workshop. I will be able to supply the more expensive chemicals and metallic salts.

Crown and Camera exhibition online

Posted by Michael Pritchard on September 16, 2009 at 6:48

The Royal Collection has put it's first photograph exhibition online. The 1987 exhibition, Crown and Camera, curated by Roger Taylor and Frances Dimond, and shown at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, is now available online on the Royal Collection’s website. The exhibition presents a survey of the 19th century photographic material in the Royal Collection, from 1842 to 1910. It includes the earliest photograph in the collection – a daguerreotype of Prince Albert taken in Brighton in March 1842, two outdoor daguerreotypes of the 1848 Chartist meeting in Kennington and work by Fenton, Reijlander and others. The site can be found here: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/crownandcamera/

NMeM job: Web developer

Posted by Michael Pritchard on May 13, 2009 at 7:19

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, we aim to engage, inspire and educate through comprehensive collections, innovative education programmes and a powerful yet sensitive approach to contemporary issues. You’ll support museum activities by providing a range of audio-visual and broadcasting services. This includes producing educational multimedia content in a range of formats, as well as filming and editing events for broadcast and distribution. Needless to say, you will be involved at every stage of media production, from concept and shooting to editing and mastering. You’ll also provide technical support and advice to colleagues throughout the NMSI and ensure the Television department is up-to-date with the latest technologies, such as live streaming and online video archiving. This is a great opportunity to produce brand-new multimedia content in a highly creative environment, while also working with landmark TV and film footage. Contract Type: Permanent 35 hours per week. Salary: £23,500.00 per annum To join us, you’ll need a good track record in location video and audio recording, extensive knowledge of linear and non-linear audio and video editing and experience of recording, lighting and live production in a TV studio environment. You should also have experience of the software used in live or post-production, such as Final Cut Pro, Discreet Combustion, 3D-Studio, Adobe Encore, Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Powerpoint, supported by knowledge of a number of historic and current media formats, particularly 1” C-Format, 1/4” audio tape, Laserdisc, Umantic, D-2 & 3, Betacam SP, DV, DVD, DAT, Minidisc, MPEG-1/2 and various streaming formats. At the same time, you will need the capability to maintain existing hardware and develop new systems. We regret that we can only respond to successful applicants. No agencies please. We are an equal opportunities employer Closing Date: 26th May 2009 Interviews: 4th June 2009 To apply, please write with full CV and covering letter to: The HR Department, National Media Museum, Bradford BD1 1NQ or email: recruitment@nationalmediamuseum.org.uk

New Web Site

Posted by Ken Jacobson on March 20, 2010 at 13:34

http://www.jacobsonphoto.com/

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 19^th 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.

Annan28Saltmarket.jpg

Best,

Ken Jacobson

Birmingham Seen, Art and Photography 1820 - 2009

Posted by Pete James on October 16, 2009 at 21:15

Birmingham Seen, Art & Photography 1820-2009Gas HallBirmingham Museum and Art Gallery31 October 2009 - 3 January 2010

This exhibition explores the way in which Birmingham's physical and social landscape has been depicted in paintings, drawings and photographs since 1820. I reveals the city in the throes of constant change - a process of creation and destruction that has inspired generations of artits and photographers. It brings together work from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery's collections, Birmingham Central Library's photography collections. Many of the works brought together for this shown are being exhibited for the first time.

Christie's London Photography department job

Posted by Michael Pritchard on May 9, 2009 at 7:00

Christie's London is seeking a junior specialist/sale administrator for it's Photographs Department based at King Street. Te successful applicant will: Handle all Estimate Requests, as well as Catalogue Production and Administration for 2 King St sales a year. Support HOD, Yuka Yamaji, on all aspects of the business and work closely with PA/Admin Support to maintain efficient day-to-day operation of Department. Key Responsibilities/Tasks (Duties include but are not limited to the following): • Contribute to Department’s turnover and profitability by demonstrating sound business judgement in all aspects of the business; Provide exceptional client service • As primary liaison for Department, forge strong relationships with internal resources, including Porters, Art Transport, VAT, Vendors, Cashiers, Credit Control, Photo Studio & Client Services • Maintain and build professional relationships with external resources, including Framers, Conservators, Scholars & Galleries; Promote efficient use of external network Consignment Gathering/Winning Business • Client communication – dealing with in-coming enquiries including new consignments, updating vendors and informing clients of forthcoming sales/events • Review, priorities & research Estimate Requests; Suggest estimates to HOD to ensure timely response • Execute regular ‘Sale Runner’ and Hilling sessions with HOD; Coordinate conservation • Oversee ‘Town Visit’ e-gathering process & action ‘Chase’ phone calls to win pending business Catalogue Production – Meet Image & Text Deadlines • Catalogue & Condition Report the sale; Identify Chart of Art data & ARR lots • Handle Catalogue Photography & Colour Correcting • Research Provenance, Rarity, Literature Reference, Exhibit History, Bios & Figs • Prepare Sale Binder (complete manuscripts & thumbnails) for HOD Selling the Sale – Pre-Sale Prep to Post-Sale Wrap Up • Sell the sale by executing ‘Highlights CD’ & ‘Targeted Emails’; Manage Sale Preview • Work closely with Marketing on presale promotion & Viewing signage • Pre-Sale Prep (Matting/Framing & Lotting Up) to Post-Sale Wrap Up Sale Administration • Pre-sale: create/manage consignment paperwork/client correspondence and departmental files; ensure estimates and reserves agreed prior to each sale; props-list, lotting-up sale; oversee the arrival and transfer of sale property, including pre-receipting • Post-sale: financial reports (ie pre-settlement report); sold since sales; transfers to other sites and returns; assist clients with shipping/export licenses; make sure all unsold lots are re-offered for sale or collected • Keep the sale ‘Sale Runner’ up to date at all times for reporting to Business Manager • Set up and follow up of sale debriefs for effective client management • Manage physical property locations and property system records for sale consignments, BI lots, uncollected property, property under evaluation, and transfer of consignments to other sale sites, including tracking and entry of correct VAT status Skills/Competencies Required: • BA and/or MA in Art History or History of Photography • Minimum of one years academic or practical experience in History of Photography • Work experience in commercial art environment • Excellent communication, interpersonal and organisational skills • Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel • Knowledge of a foreign language preferred Apply on line here.

Historic archive of Kodak Ltd donated to the British Library and De Montfort University - Official Press Release

Posted by Michael Pritchard on March 19, 2009 at 7:30

An unparalleled collection of documents and photographs charting the development of photography from a gentlemen’s pursuit to a mass popular pastime has been donated to the British Library and De Montfort University. The Kodak Ltd Archive, dates back more than 120 years and represents a treasure trove of primary material for historians and researchers of the history of photography. Kodak Ltd’s British company archives have been handed to the British Library and its research department’s library of important photographic journals to De Montfort University in Leicester. The earliest items in the archive date back to 1885, when the Kodak Company – a subsidiary of the US-based Eastman Kodak Company – opened its first UK offices in Soho Square, London. It adds to the already outstanding photographic collections of the British Library, which hold around half a million photographs dating from the birth of the medium up to the present and which will be staging a major exhibition showcasing these collections in October 2009.

The archive includes financial ledgers dating back to the company’s earliest years in the UK, advertising photographs and original line drawings used in advertising campaigns, Kodak publications including catalogues, newsletters and calendars, correspondence and minutes of meetings, photographs of buildings and employees and research reports dating back to 1928. Books and journals from the archive, which are largely duplicates of items already held by the British Library, are to be donated to De Montfort University, Leicester, which is this year launching a Masters degree in Photographic History and Practice. The archive was formed in 1977, when the holdings of the Kodak Museum (established 1927) were divided between items of significance to the history of photography generally and those relating to the history of the Kodak Company (The Kodak Ltd Archive). The former items – including photographs, photographic apparatus, products and processes – were donated to the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television at Bradford in 1985. John Falconer, Head of Visual Materials at the British Library, said, “The Library is delighted to acquire such a significant collection as the Kodak Ltd Archive – which we will make available to researchers in our St Pancras Reading Rooms in perpetuity. It will form a unique resource for the study of the growth and development of photography as a professional tool and popular amusement from the 1890s onwards.” Chairman & Managing Director of Kodak Limited, Julian Baust said “The earliest items in the Kodak Ltd Archive date from around 1885 when the first Kodak offices were opened in Soho Square. The Archive contains some excellent photographs from Kodak’s history. Kodak Limited is very excited to be relocating our valuable archive over to The British Library, where it will be available to historians and researchers alike.” Dr Gerard Moran, Dean of DMU’s Art and Design Faculty, said: “De Montfort’s growing reputation as an International Centre in this area of study has been boosted by this generous donation. Postgraduate students at De Montfort University’s Centre for Photographic History will benefit greatly from having immediate access in Leicester to this tremendous resource. I’m grateful to colleagues at Kodak, the British Library and here in the University who have worked very hard to make this happen.” Amateur Photographer magazine has also run a news story on this with different information. Click here to see.

Request for information on Anna Atkins and her life:

Posted by Antiquarianphotographer on February 7, 2009 at 15:29

Working with elementary school students in Detroit, Michigan as a volunteer for the past 5 years has been and still is an exciting way for me to share my research on Anna Atkins and her book , Photographs of British Algae; Cyanotype Impressions. My middle school students in Birmingham, Michigan have marveled at the images of their photograms as they appeared and then washed them in the school bathroom. I have been working on a biography about Anna Atkins to share with young adults. Larry Schaaf's writing has been so inspiring. It is exciting to read in his 1992 Out of the Shadow's Herschel, Talbot & the Invention of Photography and The Photographic Art of William Henry Fox Talbot about her ties with Sir John Herschel and W. H. F. Talbot. Mike Ware's work on cyanotypes is so informative and helpful. Thank you so much to both! I am trying to find out more about Anna Atkins' early life or any photographs of her home or the surroundings where she worked and grew up. I would greatly appreciate any direction the group might offer to further my independent research. Thank you! Judith

New jobs: Research Fellows at De Montfort University

Posted by Michael Pritchard on June 30, 2009 at 6:30

Two new jobs at De Montfort University have been advertised. De Montfort University has a well established reputation for providing web access to primary research sources in the history of photography. You will help to shape and to realise our long term plan to establish us as a centre of excellence, by delivering this ambition in partnership with other organisations that share our zeal for the subject. Research Fellow in Photographic History (0.2FTE). Part Time. Grade F: £30,594 - £33,432 per annum (pro rata). With a recently completed PhD (or equivalent), or currently undertaking one, you will contribute to the teaching of the MA in Photographic History and Practice, developing and delivering a module in Photography and Industry. You will undertake personal research related to the subject area. Senior Research Fellow in Photographic History (0.6 FTE). Part Time. Grade G: £34,435 - 43,622 per annum (pro rata). With a PhD (or equivalent) and teaching experience at Masters level, you will contribute to the teaching of the MA in Photographic History and Practice, including a module related to Photographic Ethnographies. You will pursue personal research and undertake Photographic History bid writing. The closing date for applications is: 13 July 2009. Application forms and further details are available from: www.jobs-dmu.co.uk

New publication: A T W Penn, 1860s British photographer in South India

Posted by Michael Pritchard on May 8, 2009 at 8:30

In November 2000 Christopher Penn discovered an old letter crumpled up behind the top drawer of his late father’s writing bureau. It led to the discovery of a family – his own – of which he had been unaware and knowledge of his great-grandfather Albert Thomas Watson Penn, who was one of the pioneering photographers of South India. A T W Penn left home in England before he was twelve and had started work as a photographer in the hill station of Ootacamund in the Nilgiri Hills by 1865, the year in which he turned sixteen. His work is now held in all the major collections of nineteenth century photography. Research for the book made use of newspapers of the time, held on microfilm in the British Library, church records and the photographs taken by A.T.W. Penn to piece together the details of his life and that of his family. The Public Records Office in Kew provided vital information on the tragic life of the author’s grandfather who, having won the Distinguished Conduct Medal for valour at the battle of Omdurman, riding in the same squadron as Lt. Winston Churchill, and won a fortune eleven years later in the Calcutta Derby Sweepstake, died a pauper and in disgrace. Profits from the sale of this book will go entirely to three charities in South India in equal parts: The Nilgiri Documentation Centre (an offshoot of the Save the Nilgiris Campaign), The Dohnavur Foundation and The Edhkwehlynawd Botanical Refuge, which is concerned with protection and preservation of the fauna and flora of the Nilgiris and care for the Toda, an aboriginal tribe. In Pursuit of the Past ISBN: 978-0-955945502 Price £14:50 plus £2:50 p&p (£7:50 p&p overseas) Available from the author and publisher: C.F.Penn, Pendle, Burdenshot Hill, Worplesdon, Surrey, GU3 3RL. Tel/Fax: 44 (0) 1483 235 609 Email: christopherpenn@btinternet.com

Martin Parr to pass his collection to a British institution?

Posted by Michael Pritchard on September 9, 2009 at 21:00

The Art Newspaper reports that British photographer Martin Parr is in talks with Nicholas Serota of the Tate Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum to leave his collection of historic and contemporary British photographs to the nation. Neither institution would confirm the story. Parr claims he is not looking to make a profit on any deal. Over the over the last twenty years Parr has assembled an important survey of 700 British documentary photos and book dummies. This includes the work of around 18 practitioners, many of them collected in depth, which spans the last five decades. For the full story click here.

The Art Fund helps Birmingham Central Library secure 70s photographs

Posted by Pete James on February 6, 2009 at 21:22

Birmingham Central Library has been awarded £11,750 by The Art Fund, the UK’s leading independent art charity, to purchase prints by two of the leading British documentary photographers of the 1970s, who were inspired by amateur Victorian photographer Sir Benjamin Stone.The acquisition includes a total of twenty-four photographs by Daniel Meadows and Homer Sykes, who documented the lives, customs and festivals of British people some eighty years after Stone toured the country recording similar subjects.Images from Sykes’s book Once a Year – Some Traditional British Customs and prints from Meadows’s Free Photographic Omnibus project will form the basis of a new collection demonstrating Stone’s influence on subsequent generations of British photographers. The Library already holds other signifcant work from this period including a portfolio of images by Tony Ray-Jones (printed after his death by John Benton-Harris), and The Paul Hill / Photographer's Place Archive.Meadows, Sykes and Ray-Jones were featured in the legacy section of the Library’s exhibition Knight of the Camera: the Photographs of Sir Benjamin Stone MP in Centenary Square in 2008. The purchase was supported by Anthony Collins Solicitors, major sponsors for last year’s exhibition.The Library has an immense archive of over 22,000 photographs colleted and taken by Stone which were gifted to Birmingham Free Libraries after his death in 1914. It now forms the cornerstone of the Library’s collection which was awarded Designated status in 2006 by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.David Barrie, Director of The Art Fund, said: “This is an immensely rich and diverse collection of works from two very important photographers, who have dedicated their careers to capturing the social zeitgeist in Britain. The Art Fund’s core purpose is to make great works of art available for everyone to enjoy, as this work now will be for generations to come.”The prints will be on view alongside other material at the forthcoming RPS Historical Grroup event at the Library on 14th March. Collections like this and Birmingham's extensive archives will be opened up further to the public as part of the Library of Birmingham, set to open in Centenary Square in 2013. This will include a gallery space as well as facilities to improve the acess to and standards of care and conservation of the collections.

Displaying Photos

Posted by Pat Jewett on January 6, 2010 at 2:50

As the world moves to almost complete digital, sites like this have to begin thinking of ways of how to move exhibits out of event tents and onto the internet. Social networks like this are becoming the contact centers of the world, but the ability to catalog and display images is still lagging, in my opinion. Better meta tagging and recognition software is needed to pull the massive photo libraries together into a usable and user friendly experience. I think we are moving in that direction, but there certainly is a lot of work to be done.

Research Studentship: Images of China in the West

Posted by Michael Pritchard on September 8, 2009 at 6:26

In conjunction with the National Media Museum, the University of Bolton wishes to offer a postgraduate research studentship for a suitable candidate to undertake research on relevant collections within the National Media Museum in the following areas: Interpretations of China by nineteenth century European - chiefly British - photographers Images of China prior to the Cultural Revolution A comparative study of images of China from European and Chinese perspectives Applicants should: Hold a Masters level qualification in photography Be fluent in spoken and written English and Mandarin Be aware of European and Chinese cultural contexts Have experience of research Have experience of working as a photographer Be able to work independently Have a strong visual sense Understand the history of photography Be motivated and enthusiastic The Yang Memorial Scholarship is for three years, subject to a satisfactory performance review at the end of twelve months. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 30th September 2009 at 12pm. Interviews are expected to take place at the beginning of October. Application forms and further details are available on request by emailing Susan Farrell: sf1@bolton.ac.uk. Alternatively, please telephone her on +44 (0)1204 903611 (no C.V.s accepted). Yang Memorial Scholarship Professor Yang Xiaoguang was Dean of the Dalian College of Image Art and a key influence in setting up the MA Photography at the University of Bolton that runs both in Dalian and Bolton. Tragically he was killed in a traffic accident in Nepal while teaching a photography workshop in 2008. Amongst many other interests Professor Yang had a keen interest in the study of Chinese photographic archives held outside of the country, many of which provide a unique visual insight into everyday life in China in periods when few Chinese photographers shared the same passion to document.

'Victoria and Albert: Art & Love' - new exhibition includes photographs from Prince Albert's collection

Posted by Sophie Gordon on March 18, 2010 at 13:50

A selection of photographs from the collection of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, taken between 1848 and 1860, will be on display from Friday 19 March at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London. Works by Roger Fenton, J.J.E. Mayall, Richard Beard, T. Brunell, Leonida Caldesi, Oscar Mallitte, Comte de Montizon and Gustave Le Gray are included.

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.

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/vanda/index.asp

To go straight to the photographs:

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/vanda/MicroSection.asp?themeid=796

A London Presence?

Posted by Michael Pritchard on February 1, 2009 at 8:00

The location of Bradford for the National Museum of Photgraphy, Film and Television (now the National Media Museum) was always a bit problematic for Britain's London-centric visitors and arts community - notwithstanding the fact that there are almost as many potential visitors within an hour travel time of Bradford as there are to London. Overseas tourists unless they are persistent are reluctant to take a three hour train ride; scholars wishing to access the museum's collections have no choice. In the early days the museum would ship journalists and guest to exhibition openings by train in dedicated coaches. So it probably wasn't too many years after the museum's 1983 opening that thoughts turned to bringing the collections physically to a London audience in some way. The NMeM's much vaunted 'London presence' which has been discussed formally since at least 2003 still remains on the table in 2009 although a venue has still to be confirmed. Past rumours have centred on Somerset House and even a standalone space. It seems likely that a space at the Science Museum in Exhibition Road, SW7, has been found which will open by 2011-12. Both museums are part of the National Museum of Science and Industry grouping and there would be benefits in making space available. What is known is that the NMeM is currently working with Event Communications Ltd and Thompson Brand Partners, a Leeds consultancy which undertook the museum's recent rebranding, to produce a masterplan for a London presence.The space under consideration consists of two temporary exhibition galleries totalling 1,000 sq.m. where world-class exhibitions in photography and other media could be staged. A separate entrance would allow the space to operate independently of the Science Museum's opening hours. Funding remains problematic although the chair of the museum trustees, the James Bond producer Michael G. Wilson, has committed himself to the project and fundraising for it. Larger questions remain about what will be shown. The Science Museum closed its Photography, Cinematography and Optics galleries some years ago and the new space would allow the NMeM to showcase a changing selection objects from these subjects areas in the space. To simply showcase highlights from the collections in London would almost be an admission of defeat about Bradford as a location. What seems more likely is that the space will be used to launch exhibitions of photography in the capital before they transfer to Bradford. There is a considerable market for photography in London that the Science Museum's near neighbour, the Victoria and Album museum is unable to meet and a coordinated programme with the V&A might ensure that photography enjoys a better representation than hitherto. The NMeM remains tightlipped about precise timings, plans and funding. Keep watching this space.

NMeM Bradford: Frederick Evans Exhibition in 2010

Posted by Michael Pritchard on December 27, 2009 at 18:48

After showing at the Getty in Los Angeles from 2 February-6 June 6 2010A Record of Emotion: The Photographs of Frederick H. Evans will be on view at the National Media Museum in Bradford, from 24 September 2010–20 February 2011. The exhibition explores the artist’s images of medieval cathedrals in England and France, rarely seen landscapes of the English countryside, and intimate portraits of Evans’s family and friends. Through a deep understanding of his subject and a delicate handling of light, mass, and volume, Frederick H. Evans (British, 1853–1943) created photographs of medieval cathedrals that capture the innate spirituality of each stone building. Evans began photographing cathedrals in the mid-1880s. He was able to create magnificent examples of light and shadow through the interior views of historic sites such as Ely Cathedral, York Minster, and Westminster Abbey. More than simply recording their physical features, Evans sought an emotional connection with the spaces he photographed, aiming for a “record of an emotion” rather than a piece of topography. His interiors are often dramatic renderings, paying homage to the inner sanctity of the site while also exploiting the architectonic elements. He described the cathedral photographs as studies since he approached each building in a methodical, measured way. In documenting these sites, Evans stayed for several weeks studying them from early morning to dusk, pacing around naves and cloisters and recording—first as notations in a notebook and later as photographic images on paper—the changing effects of light as it illuminated dimly lit interiors at various times of day. Choosing to work in platinum for its tonal range, Evans was a purist who did not believe in manipulating the negatives. He advocated, “Photography is photography; and in its purity and innocence is far too uniquely valuable and beautiful to be spoilt by making it imitate something else.” His expert craftsmanship extended to the presentation of the actual prints, which were carefully mounted onto different colored paper supports or featured a series of applied borders. One of the many highlights of Evans’s architectural photographs is a small selection of prints documenting Kelmscott Manor, home of William Morris, the leader of the Arts and Crafts Movement in England. These photographs, central to the Getty holdings, are arguably among Evans’s finest pieces. Although similar to the grand cathedrals in evoking a kind of reverence, the images are much more intimate and reflective. Starting with distant views of the house from the river, Evans leads the viewer across the site, into the house itself, and through the various chambers. He studied the location and considered the architectural space in a series of views that sought to capture the soul of the place, culminating in photographs of the light-filled attic. Other highlights include A Sea of Steps, one of his most recognizable and appreciated photographs of Wells Cathedral. Evans made several attempts over a number of years to successfully capture the wave-like motion of the worn, stone steps. Today this particular image is among the most renowned architectural renderings in the history of photography. Although lauded for his architectural photographs, Evans was also accomplished in the areas of portraiture, landscape, and photomicrography (photography using a microscope), and he brought to each subject the same intensity that characterizes his cathedral images. A small selection of his photomicrographs will be included in a rare display of the glass lantern slides (photographic images on glass) that Evans used for his public lectures. From 1890 to 1898, Evans ran a bookshop in London. During this time he came into contact with various literary figures, and over the years many of them sat in front of his camera. Included in the exhibition are portraits of the playwright George Bernard Shaw, who shared with Evans an enthusiasm for the pianola (automatic player piano), and the young Aubrey Beardsley, whose graphic talents Evans is credited with having discovered. In his portraits Evans attempted to evoke the sitter’s personality. Using a Dallmeyer-Bergheim lens, because it afforded a greater degree of softness in rendering facial features, he tended to isolate the sitter with little background detail or props to convey their psychological presence. Also on display in the exhibition are photographs by Evans that capture the beautiful landscapes of the English countryside. Evans began making landscapes in the early 1880s when he was seeking respite from health problems and found himself traveling often to the Lake District in the north of England. His numerous trips to local woodland areas in Surrey resulted in photographs of majestic trees that recalled the soaring columns of cathedrals. “For Evans the work was clearly an emotional enjoyment that is revealed in this exhibition of his life and work,” says Anne Lyden, associate curator of photographs and curator of the exhibition. “He attempted to capture what he called ‘a record of an emotion,’ by invoking the potent symbolism of these awe-inspiring spaces.” In Bradford Curator of Photographs Philippa Wright has been responsible for the show.

Pete James gains RPS award

Posted by Michael Pritchard on September 7, 2009 at 7:30

Peter James, Head of Photography at Birmingham Central Library has been given the 2009 Colin Ford Award by the Royal Photographic Society. The award, instituted in 2003, bears the name of Colin Ford CBE, the first Director of the National Museum of Photography Film and Television in Bradford (now the National Media Museum). It is normally given each year to honour an individual who has contributed in a major way to curatorship. It has previously been awarded to staff members at the NMeM. Peter has an outstanding record of exhibitions and work in photographic history and in commission contemporary photographers based around the library's collections. He is currently working on plans for the photography collections as part of the library's move to a new building.

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