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Shooting 120 film in your Kodak Brownie Twin

Posted by Richard Marsden on May 17, 2011 at 20:23

I recently discovered and subsequently fell in love with one of these cameras in a charity shop I visited back in February with my fiancée, Cat. She purchased the camera for me for a valentines gift and after a little haggling, we walked away with the camera for the princely sum of £8. Now I didn't know a lot about these cameras at all. I remember my grandad having what was called a 'Box Brownie' (I now know there are a number of Kodak cameras that fall into this category) but all I knew as a child was that t took pictures. I remember playing with the shutter, and wondering what the red window on the back was for. Years later, I come across one and I still know very little about them. The chap in the shop took it away to inspect it and after a few minutes said it appeared to be in perfect working order, and that the film it took, 120, was still readily available. I took him at his word and scampered home to inspect my new toy in privacy. And here she is in all her glory.

Since I knew nothing about her, I decided to do a little investigation. As it turns out, she doesn't take 120 format film at all, she takes 620 format film. As you guys will know all too well, this format was special developed by Kodak for nefarious reasons to try and 'lock' the camera user to Kodak film. A neat idea, or so they thought. Unfortunately, 620 film was discontinued by Kodak some time ago, and is very rare indeed. So would I ever be able to take pictures with this wonderful machine? As it turns out, yes I can! After some more research, it turns out there are a number of possibilities to take pictures with a brownie. One way, is to re-spool 120 stock onto a 620 spool. Since I don't have a darkroom, or a changing bag, or even the knowledge of how to perform such a task, this was a no-no. And besides, I'm lazy and always on the lookout for an easier way. Secondly, I could obtain film from someone who had already performed this task. A quick search on Ebay confirmed by suspicions. Yes, there are a few people out there who have done this, but they want an absolute fortune for the privilege! Not only am I lazy, I'm also a Yorkshireman, through and through! There must be an easy, yet cheap way. After more o-nline research it turns out, with a little jiggery pokery, you can adapt 120 film so that your Brownie camera accepts it to shoot with. To perform the task, you need to obtain some sturdy nail clippers and a fine file or sand paper. (I obtained some very cheap nail clippers and a metal nail file from a certain chemist that rhymes with 'Hoots'). First, buy some 120 stock. You'll find it's cheaper if you buy multi-packs, but being the cautious sort, I decided to buy just one roll of Ilford B & W 100 speed in case there were any issues. Before I started I checked the retaining spring on the camera housing to make sure it was nice and tight to ensure there wouldn't be any light leaks. I took the film out of it's packet and got everything together on a nice flat surface. First, I trimmed the edges of the 120 spool to make it the same diameter as the 620 spool. There is a little lip that runs around the edges which is roughly the same size, which makes a nice guide. After flipping the spool over and doing the other end, I carefully ran the metal file over the whole thing to make it nice and smooth. Next, I compared the spools for hight. 620 spools are ever so slightly shorter than 120 spools, so I used the file to bring them down just a little bit. I offered the spool up to the camera to see what it was like, and what do you know, it was a perfect fit! Now I'd never used one of these cameras before, and surprisingly, details on how to load the film were pretty scarce. through trial and error, I worked out which way round the film was supposed to go and how to feed it into the take up spool. I loaded the housing back into the camera body, and sealed it shut. t was a little stiff at first, but I managed to wind the film onto the first frame, success! Now all I needed was a fine day and something interesting to shoot! A couple of weeks ago, Crich Tramway Museum held a 40's weekend. Both my fiancée and I are 40's enthusiasts and I prayed the sun would be out so that the conditions for shooting with my brownie were favourable. Luckily, it was a perfect day, and my 12 exposures ran out quickly. Then it was off to my local Jessops to get them developed. What with Bank holidays and royal nuptials, it took over a week to get the photos back. Gingerly, I opened the envelope and to my utter shock, the results were stunning! Despite shaking more than Elvis in an earthquake and completely ignoring distance and speed settings, most of the pictures were crisper than a winters day! I honestly couldn't believe these pictures were taken with a camera over 50 years old! My father has kindly offered to scan the negatives for me and I'll post the results as soon as I have them. I've managed to obtain some expired 620 colour stock (expired in 1983!) and I'm now scanning the weather forecasts for more sun so I can shoot some more pictures with my favourite camera, there's life in the old brownie yet!

Lost & Found: The Thuillier Collection - (UPDATED with video) one of the most important historical discoveries from WWI

Posted by Michael Wong on March 2, 2011 at 9:17

A treasure trove of more than 3,000 World War I glass plate negatives of British, Indian, French, Australians, and Americans, and even some of the Chinese Labour Corps and other allied troops have been found, sitting almost undisturbed for nearly a century, in three large chests in a dusty attic of a dilapidated farmhouse in Vignacourt in the Somme valley, some two hours north of Paris. Named after the photographers, local farmer Louis Thuillier and his wife Antoinette, "The Thuillier Collection" was almost lost to history because the farmhouse where they were stored is likely to be sold in coming months and their descendants had no idea of the historical significance of the plates.

Throughout much of the war they photographed the fighting men who came to their humble outdoor studio in the courtyard of their house. Thousands of their photographs must have found their way to homes around the world, including Australia. Remarkably the Thuilliers’ glass plate negatives still exist, sitting almost undisturbed for nearly a century. They have recently been located by investigators from Australia’s Channel 7. The TV program has secured almost 500 of the plates from a Thuillier family relative, Henriette Crognier. When she heard of the great interest in the plates, she insisted on donating them to Australia.

Research at the Australian War Memorial indicates that the Australian photographs were mostly taken in November 1916 and during November-December 1918. Among the latter are scenes of celebration on the day the war ended, 11 November 1918. As Australian War Memorial head of military history, Ashley Ekins, said the ‘Thuillier Collection’ is an extremely valuable collection of images of Australian and other allied soldiers just behind the frontlines, one of the “most important discoveries from the First World War”.

You can catch a preview of the programme "The Lost Diggers" and a gallery of the photos here, as well as an article from the Australian War Memorial here.

Photo: On leave ... a message to the folks at home (Copyright: The Thuillier Collection)

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.

Job: Digital Image Cataloguer - Photographs

Posted by Michael Wong on September 18, 2011 at 19:05

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members.

The RIBA's British Architectural Library is the leading library in the United Kingdom for the study of architecture and architectural history. It provides a service to practicing architects, students, architectural historians, and the general public, and has extensive collections of drawings, manuscripts and photographs, as well as books and periodicals.

A digital image cataloguer is required to assist in extending the Library's online digital image database which currently encompasses 60,000 images. Duties will include researching background information on, and cataloguing, a wide range of visual material thereby increasing its educational and financial potential.

Candidates should be highly organised and have experience of research either within a work or educational environment together with good writing skills and a keen visual awareness. An ability to work quickly and accurately both as part of a team and on your own initiative is essential. A degree in architectural history or a demonstrable in-depth knowledge of the subject is essential. Familiarity with computer systems such as Excel and Access is desirable, as is a basic knowledge of recognised library standards.

If you would like to apply for this position, please complete and send a covering letter and CV, Applicants Statement and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form to Human Resources Department RIBA 66, Portland Place London W1B 1AD or to recruitment@riba.org.

Interviews will be held in late October 2011.

Location: Central London
Salary: £21,173 FTE -
Hours: Part-time, 28 hours per week
Closing date: 14 October 2011

Details including full job description and application can be found here.

Good luck!

EXCLUSIVE: Kodak donates archive to libraries

Posted by Michael Pritchard on March 3, 2009 at 8:30

In a generous move Kodak has donated its British company archives to the British Library and its research department's library to De Montfort University in Leicester. The donations safeguard the material in perpetuity as the company continues its worldwide reorganisation. The material comes from the company's British corporate headquarters and the company's European Research Centre which was established at Harrow in 1928 and recently moved to Cambridge. At a formal ceremony on 2 March at the British Library Kodak's Jan Wildman and the British Library's Ronald Milne, Director, Scholarship & Collections, signed the formal agreement to donate. The company archive which dates from the company's arrival in the United Kingdom in 1885 includes business documents, contracts, production records and marketing material and will complement the British Library's expanding photographic collections which have recently been joined by the William Henry Fox Talbot and Fay Godwin collections.The British Library will be holding a major exhibition of its photographic collections, including some of the Kodak material, from October 2009. This is not the first time that Kodak Ltd has made a major donation. In 1985 it closed the Kodak Museum at Harrow which had opened in 1927 and donated the entire collection to the Science Museum. It now forms a key part of the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Kodak's British research department was formally established in 1928 and the library includes runs of nineteenth century journals and books which were used by company staff until the 1980s and go to De Montfort University in Leicester which has established itself as the leading UK centre for photographic history and research. The university has produced a number of ground-breaking online historical databases and a MA course in Photographic History and it's Practice starts in October 2009. It also has several PhD students researching photographic history. The library donation is a major resource and will be housed in a secure special collections areas of the university library. A small part of the library has been retained by the British Library to fill gaps in its collection of photographic journals. Kodak first arrived in Britain in 1885 when founder George Eastman opened a London office in London's Soho Square to sell his and other American manufacturer's products. The London office was a base for Eastman's expansion into Europe and in 1888 it moved to Oxford Street with formal retail premises. The first British company, the Eastman Photographic Materials Company, was formed in 1889 to handle all Eastman's business outside of North America and in 1890 Eastman bought the Harrow site where the first Kodak factory outside of Rochester, NY, was established. The site remains in operation producing photographic papers. Kodak Limited was established 1898 and the company established a network of shops throughout the UK and added photo-finishing to its operations. Camera making commenced in Britain in mid-1927. The Kodak Ltd dominated the British photographic manufacturing and retail scene for the next fifty years. In the early 1980s recession forced the Eastman Kodak Company, the American parent company, to review worldwide operations and the company underwent a period of contraction which accelerated from in the early 2000s as digital photography began to impact on the company's traditional areas of film and paper production. In Britain a number of sites were closed. The Hemel Hempstead headquarters which had moved from London and opened in 1971 were relocated and the Harrow factory downsized. The research department is due to close shortly. Restructuring had started to show financial benefits by late 2008 when the worldwide credit crunch hit the company but Kodak remains poised to ensure it's future survival by focusing on materials and cameras for digital photography. The donation has taken several years to complete and a number of the key players to secure the collections were present at the formal signing ceremony including Kodak's Dr Sam Weller, former head of research, Chris Roberts, Kodak Archive Curator, Derek Birch formerly of Kodak Research Laboratories; the British Library's John Falconer head of photographic collections, and Professor Roger Taylor. Representatives from De Montfort University included Dr Kelley Wilder, head of the new MA course, Professor Stephen Brown and Dr Gerard Moran, Dean of Art and Design. Michael Pritchard Please note this is a personal report and has not been produced by Kodak, the British Library or De Montfort University. The formal press notice will be uploaded in due course. The photographs here and others are © Michael Pritchard and are available on request.

The Doctor, The Photographs & The Court Case of 1877

Posted by Michael Wong on April 22, 2010 at 9:34

Most of you (myself included !) would have first encountered the Irish philanthropist, Dr Thomas Barnado (1845-1905), as your local High Street charity shop. But what did he have in common with photography and a court case brought against him in 1877 ? Well, his name may not spring to mind instantly amongst the names of early photographers, but perhaps deserves to.

In 1874 Dr. Barnardo opened a Photographic Department in his Stepney Boys' Home. Over the next thirty years every child who entered one of Barnardo's homes had their photograph taken. Children were photographed when they first arrived and again several months later after they had recovered from their experiences of living on the streets. The photographs were kept in albums and case-history sheets. There are over fifty thousand of these 'before' and 'after' cards, printed on a carte-de-visite, of the boys at the homes, and were then sold in packs of twenty for 5 shillings or singly for 6d. each. This enabled Barnardo to publicize his work and raise money for his charitable work.

However, Barnardo was accused of setting up the pictures in a court case in 1877. He admitted to not always using a child who was destitute as a model and sometimes exaggerating their appearances to get across the "wider" truth about the class of children he wanted to help. The courts reprimanded him but said his homes were still "real and valuable charities".

The case was so important because the status of photography was, at the time, a medium by which some kind of visual "truth" was supposed to be revealed. The idea that Barnardo had staged many of his photographs destabilised a Victorian notion of what it was to be an "authentically" poor child. A deliberately manipulated photograph of a child was considered not just an assault on notions of representational truth, but also an assault on the innocence of the child itself.

Well, you can judge for yourself at a talk entitled "Barnardo's Philanthropy and Photography" - see Events for more information.

Carte-de-visite :The transformation
Pictures from the 1870s used by Barnardo's homes to attract funds,
ostensibly showing children "before" and "after" being rescued from the
streets. Barnardo was later accused of setting up the pictures in a
court case in 1877.

UPDATE: Charlotte Cotton joins NMeM

Posted by Michael Pritchard on July 16, 2009 at 13:00

The National Media Museum, Bradford, have now issued a formal press release regarding Charlotte Cotton who is joining the museum in October 2009. National Media Museum Appoints Creative Director for London Galleries The National Media Museum in Bradford has appointed Charlotte Cotton to its new role of Creative Director for its future London Galleries. Charlotte will be charged with delivering an exciting vision for the content of the Museum’s special exhibitions programme for its London presence, building on the strong reputation of exhibitions already staged at the Museum’s Bradford base. She will be driving an advocacy programme and helping with fundraising for the project, for which the Museum is currently awaiting government approval on its preferred venue in the Capital. Charlotte is currently Head of the Wallis Annenberg Department of Photography at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the largest art museum in the Western United States. Before joining LACMA, Charlotte was a Curator of Photography at the V&A for 12 years and then Head of Programming at The Photographers’ Gallery in London. Charlotte will start working for the National Media Museum in October 2009. Colin Philpott, Director of the National Media Museum, said: “We are delighted that Charlotte has chosen to further her career with the National Media Museum, working to build our brand in the short, medium and long-term through our programme of special exhibitions and to help us achieve our long-held ambition to establish a presence in London. Our home will remain in Bradford but having a presence in London will enable us to bring our exhibitions programme and items from our Collection to a wider audience.” Charlotte Cotton said: “The opportunity to play a leading role in the programming for the UK’s most important collections relating to photography, film and television and the conception of its London presence is absolutely thrilling for me. I am really looking forward to realising the most timely, pleasurable, and culturally nourishing experiences of both the collections and contemporary creative talents within the media realm.” Whilst at LACMA, Charlotte has built the Wallis Annenberg Department of Photography’s programme, visibility and relevance in the Californian photographic community as well as nationally in the States. The world class historical photography collection of Leonard and Marjorie Vernon was acquired during Charlotte’s tenure, a group of more than 3,500 prints forming one of the finest histories of photography and collections of masterworks from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Charlotte has led on creating a world class and locally relevant events programme at LACMA including debates, conversations, screenings, performances, commissions and publications. During her career Charlotte has worked on an extensive body of exhibitions and publications. During her time at the V&A Charlotte developed a number of exhibitions and publications including Imperfect Beauty: The Making of Contemporary Fashion Photographs (2000), Stepping In and Out: Contemporary documentary photography (2001), and Guy Bourdin (2003). Charlotte has taught at universities and art colleges including as visiting professor at Yale University (2005/6) and visiting critic at SVA, New York; Art Institute, Chicago; Cranbrook College, Detroit; UCLA, Los Angeles; Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City. Charlotte has written a number of books including The Photograph as Contemporary Art (2004), an extended and updated version of which will be re-published in September 2009. As well as numerous articles and essays. Charlotte was the founder of the discussion forum www.wordswithoutpictures.org, a summary of which has recently been published in print-on-demand form. Last year the National Media Museum in Bradford attracted over 700,000 visitors with exhibitions including securing the only UK venue for Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Scrapbook, Photographs 1932-4, working with Hedy van Erp and Iris Sikking of the ICON Foundation on the exhibition Baby, Picturing the Ideal Human 1840s – Now and the Museum generated show; Live by the Lens. Die by the Lens: Film Stars and Photographers. The Museum is home to the National Photography, Photographic Technology, Television and Cinematography Collections. The National Photography Collection contains key images by numerous influential historic and contemporary practitioners such as; Anna Atkins, Sir John Herschel, Martin Parr and Eve Arnold, and includes the earliest known surviving negative, which is part of the William Henry Fox Talbot Collection. The Museum also holds The Royal Photographic Society Collection, the Kodak Museum and the Daily Herald Archive.

World’s 'first' camera at auction

Posted by Michael Wong on February 1, 2010 at 16:25

WestLicht Photographica (http://www.westlicht-auction.com) is to auction off one of the first commercially produced cameras, a Giroux Daguerréotype, which is expected to fetch at least half a million euros. The Giroux Daguerréotype was made in Paris from 1839 in limited numbers from original plans drawn up by its inventor, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, by his brother-in-law, Alphones Giroux. The camera being auctioned on 29 May by WestLicht Auctions in Vienna was completely unknown and has never before been documented. It has been in private ownership in northern Germany for generations. The outstanding original condition of the 170 year-old apparatus is remarkable. Every detail including the lens, the plaque signed by Daguerre himself, the black velvet interior and the ground-glass screen are in their original state. WestLicht Photographica estimates that it will be sold for 500,000 to 700,000 euros at the 17th WestLicht Photographica Auction held in Vienna on 29 May 2009.Westlicht Press ReleaseThe oldest and most expensive camera in the world – WestLicht Auction May 29th, Estimate Euro 500,000 – 700,000!The “Giroux Daguerréotype” is the first commercially-produced camera in the world and represents the initial spark that began the worldwide spread of photography. It was made in Paris from 1839 in limited numbers from original plans drawn up by its inventor, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, by his brother-in-law, Alphones Giroux.The camera being auctioned on the 29th of May by WestLicht Auctions in Vienna was completely unknown and has never before been documented. It has been in private ownership in northern Germany for generations. The present owner’s father gave it to him in the 1970s as a present for passing his final apprenticeship test as an optician.The outstanding original condition of the 170 year-old apparatus is remarkable. Every detail including the lens, the plaque signed by Daguerre himself, the black velvet interior and the ground-glass screen are in their original state.The unique camera comes with the extremely rare original instructions in German with the title: “Praktische Beschreibung des Daguerreotyp’s”; published by Georg Gropius, Berlin 1839, 12x20cm, 24 pages with 18 illustrations in 5 plates showing the equipment used for producing Daguerreotypes in accordance with Daguerre’s invention. On the back of the little book there are two handwritten notes from 1840 with details of the process.The expertise has been written by Michel Auer, the internationally renowned expert on historic cameras and author of numerous books. Worldwide, only a few of these cameras are known to exist and all of those are in public museums. A camera like this has never been offered for sale by auction before. It is anticipated that WestLicht Auctions’ own world record price of 576,000 Euros (also for a camera from 1839), will be significantly exceeded. The starting price is Euro 200,000, the estimate Euro 500,000 – 700,000.The historical backgroundFrom the end of the 1820s the industrious stage-set painter and showman Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre and lithographer Joseph Nicéphore Nièpce have been carrying out joint experiments into a process for making images from a camera obscura permanent. In 1829 they form a company in order to develop this idea but Daguerre achieves the technical breakthrough only after Nièpce’s unexpected death in 1833. He refines the process and, at the end of 1838, finally manages to fix the chemically generated images permanently.The public first learns of this pioneering invention on the 6th of January 1839 in the daily newspaper “La Gazette de France”. The article reveals almost no details. Thereafter events follow thick and fast. The day after the report is published, physicist and politician Francoise Jean Arago makes a fiery speech in which he declares Daguerre’s invention to be too important to be the concern of a single person and proposes that the French nation should make the invention of photography a present to the world.The Chamber of Deputies in Paris enthusiastically accepts this idea and Daguerre and Isidor Nièpce, the son of his former partner, are awarded a life-long pension of 10,000 Francs per year in return. On the 19th of August 1839 the secret of the new process is revealed stimulating world-wide interest.The news spreads like wildfire and on the 24th of August, punctually for the public announcement, the first advertisement for the Daguerreotype made by Alphonse Giroux et Cie is printed in the “Journal des Débats”. The announcement explicitly draws attention to the fact that production will be supervised by Daguerre himself and the reader is informed of the brochure which contains a detailed description of the process.The booklet, which will soon be printed in numerous languages and will go through 32 editions, also contains precise plans of the camera developed by Daguerre.Since the French nation has compensated him for his invention, Daguerre no longer has the exclusive rights to it but, as a good businessman, he finds ways of making money out of his name which is now famous all over the world. On the 22nd of June 1839, two months before the process was made public, he already signed a contract with Alphonse Giroux and the Susse Brothers. (Incidentally, an original Susse Frères camera was auctioned by WestLicht Auctions in 2007 for 576,000 Euros). In the contracts the two companies were given the exclusive rights to produce and sell the Daguerreotype and the other equipment necessary.The famous optician Charles Chevalier expressed his disappointment at this agreement because he had been hoping to acquire it. After all, it had been Chevalier who had made the contact between Daguerre and Nièpce in 1826 and he had also been following their experiments over the years. In his biography the respected producer of scientific instruments commented on the choice of an interior decorator and a stationer for the production of the Daguerreotype with ridicule and a certain degree of annoyance. Despite (and because of) that position Chevalier was given the commission of producing the lenses for the cameras made by both companies.The cameras produced by Daguerre’s brother-in-law are more opulently finished than those of the competition. Every Giroux camera has a golden plaque which, in addition to the maker’s mark, bears Daguerre’s personal signature. The selling price of 400 Francs was very high, representing approximately annual income of a normal working man. Under the terms of the contract Giroux was to have half the profits, Daguerre and Niépce taking equal shares of the remainder.There is no record of the total number of cameras that Giroux produced but since cheaper and improved cameras came onto the market relatively quickly, it is assumed that the numbers were very limited. It can also be assumed that the Giroux Daguerreotype was only produced in 1839. Apparently Daguerre did not take the development of his camera any further. The inventor died in 1851 at the height of his worldwide fame.On the functioning of the camera and the processMaking Daguerreotypes is a relatively involved process. Since the photographer has to ensure the light sensitivity of every photograph, he needs to have a lot of equipment with him. For open-air shots he must also carry a darkroom. For this reason the Daguerreotype was originally sold with everything necessary for the production of Daguerreotypes. All in all the required equipment weighed around 50 kilos and included in addition to the camera itself, fuming and mercury boxes, a spirit burner as well as the silver-covered copper plates and the necessary chemicals.The camera itself consists of two boxes which are slide into each other and are made of different kinds of wood. The larger of the two, which has the lens attached to it, is fixed to the base plate. The back of the smaller box is either the ground glass plate or the holder insert and it fits into the forward box so that the whole is lightproof. The interior is lined with black velvet. In order to bring the image into focus the rear box is moved back or forwards along the wooden camera base.It can then be fixed in position by means of a brass screw. A fold-out mirror behind the ground-glass screen allows the image to be seen while standing upright.Initially Daguerre used plates of pure silver. Later, to save costs, they were made of silver-plated copper. Before the exposure was made the plates were fumed with iodine or bromine. This took place in a special wooden box with the aid of a spirit burner. Under the influence of this fuming process, light-sensitive silver iodide formed on the surface of the plate.In order to maximise the brightness of the image while focussing, the lens’s outer brass fitting was removed. During the exposure the ground glass screen was exchanged for the (now) light sensitive plate (167 x 216 mm). Before the exposure was made the diaphragm was replaced and a swivelling cap served as a shutter. Daguerre suggested exposure times of between 3 and 30 minutes, depending on light conditions.After the plate was exposed, the photograph was developed with the aid of mercury fumes which adhered to the surface producing a very faint silver image. Development and fixation in a salt or cyanide solution results in a positive image made of grey quicksilver. The tonality of the original pictures varied between grey and blue-grey but, after the introduction of gold toner, they could also be gold, purple or sepia-coloured.Daguerreotypes are astoundingly finely nuanced and practically grainless – even when examined under a magnifying glass they exhibit very fine details. When they are framed in a way that excludes air they are extremely durable. Daguerreotypes are always unique and cannot be reproduced. This is also one of the reasons why they are such sought after and desirable collectors’ items nowadays.

Robert Leggat

Posted by Michael Pritchard on February 6, 2011 at 12:30

Robert Leggat who researched and maintained one of the first useful photographic history resources on the internet died on 20 January 2011. His A History of Photography from its beginnings till the 1920s (http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/index.html) was designed for school and college students and started in 1995. It is still available today and was being maintained by Leggat until shortly before his death. Put many historical photographic terms or personalities into a search engine and the chances are that Leggat’s website will be somewhere near the top of the results list.

Since its launch the site has had nearly 10 million visitors and the online guestbook from the early years (the guestbook was later discontinued as Leggat was unable to keep up with responding to questions and queries) was full of praise and thanks from students who had made use of it.

Leggat was involved in photographic education throughout his career and took an active role in the Royal Photographic Society as its Honorary Education Officer amongst other positions. A fuller obituary has been prepared but if anyone has any recollections or further knowledge of Robert's career and life please contact Michael Pritchard (email: michael@mpritchard.com)

Michael Schaaf

Posted by Michael Pritchard on August 14, 2016 at 8:00

BPH is saddened to report that Michael Schaaf, the photographer and teacher of collodion and other historic process, was found in his camper van in Lacock on 16 July. He had not been in contact with his family for several days and was discovered by a National Trust employee. Schaaf had conducted a five day intensive workshop at Lacock from 6-10 July.

Schaaf, 52, conducted regular process workshops at Lacock and elsewhere for the Fox Talbot Museum, the Royal Photographic Society and others. He was held in high regard for his own photography and for the quality of his teaching. He was a member and contributor to BPH.

BPH offers its condolences to his wife and family. An inquest is to be held at a later date.

Michael's website remains active at: http://mics-foto.de/

See: http://www.yourvalleynews.co.uk/frontpage-news/tourist-found-hanged-in-beauty-spot/

For sale: Bristol camera obscura for £1.7 million

Posted by Michael Pritchard on July 6, 2014 at 6:30

If you are looking for a camera obscura you could do no better than buy The Observatory in Bristol which overlooks Brunel's Clifton suspension bridge and Avon gorge. Back on the market at a reduced price the eighteenth century building houses one of the few remaining public camera obscuras. A special covenant relating to the purchase ensures that the camera obscura must remain open to the public. The building, associated caves and grounds are yours for £1,695,000 (freehold) or offers in the region thereof. It was originally on the market for £2 million in 2013 and failed to find a buyer.

The Observatory occupies a site of great historical interest, originally an Iron Age lookout post and a fortified Roman camp. The existing building was originally built as a windmill for corn in 1766 and later converted to the grinding of snuff. This was damaged by a fire in October 1777 when the sails were left turning during a gale and caused the equipment to catch alight. It remained derelict for some 52 years until artist William West rented the old mill as a studio in 1828. It was Mr West who installed telescopes and a Camera Obscura, used by artists of the Bristol school to draw the Avon Gorge and Leigh Woods well before the construction of Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge.

The Camera Obscura is situated on the top floor and is still in full working order giving an impressive bird’s eye view of Avon Gorge, projected onto a 5 ft concave metal surface. Leading to the Camera Obscura, there are two circular rooms which would eminently suit visiting art exhibitions, especially with the historical connection to the artists who used this bird’s eye vantage point to capture on canvas, the dramatic Avon Gorge.

Mr West also built a tunnel from The Observatory to St Vincent’s Cave, which opens onto a limestone cave on the cliff face of the Avon Gorge. The cave was first mentioned as being a chapel in the year AD305 and excavations, in which Romano-British pottery has been found, have revealed that it has been both a holy place and a place of refuge at various times in its history.

The building that now stands on the site has only been sold on two occasions since it was constructed in 1766 and is now designated as Grade II*.

The Royal Photographic Society is close by in Bath and the Fox Talbot Museum in Lacock.

Read the full specification here.

Mystery camera No. 2 .....

Posted by Michael Wong on November 29, 2010 at 11:13

If you were not impressed by the size of the first one, well, as the late US President Ronald Reagan would say, "You ain't seen nothing yet!" ...

First photo of Niagara Falls

Posted by Michael Wong on October 28, 2010 at 10:23

Niagara Falls - one of the most photographed scenic sights in the world. But do you know who was the first person to do so?

Well,the honour bestows on a Newcastle industrialist by the name of Hugh Lee Pattinson in April 1840. At

that time he was just getting to grips the early form of photography introduced by Daguerre. On a business trip, Pattinson stopped by at the Falls to perfect his new found hobby. It took him more than twenty minutes to fix the scene on the silver-coated copper plate inside his camera. He would then wrap the plate in warm mercury fumes, slowly drawing the image to the surface. History was made that day as it was the first photograph taken of the Falls ever!

Apparently, in the 1920's his descendants gave the Daguerreotypes to the University of Newcastle, where Pattinson was from. The University library kept them on a shelf in Special Collections but sometime after that, for whatever reason, they were thought to have been lost or destroyed. However in 1997 while looking through some store rooms in the library, the University came across an old dust covered carton marked “Daguerrotypes”, which lo and behold, contained the lost images!

The Niagara Parks Commission has reproduced and enlarged one of the170 year old pictures which it plans to prominently display near the entrance to the Maid Of The Mist boat tour as part of the Commission's 125th Anniversary celebration. It plans to display the rest of Pattinson's images on its web site. You can watch a video report here.

Photo: 1840 Daguerreotype of Niagara Falls (Robinson Library Special Collections, Newcastle University)

Annie Lyden appointed International Photography Curator at the National Galleries of Scotland

Posted by Michael Pritchard on August 4, 2013 at 9:00

Anne M Lyden has been appointed International Photography Curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, based at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh. The job was advertised earlier this year (see: http://britishphotohistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/job-international-photography-curator-national-galleries-of) and interviews were held in May.

Lyden's last day at the Getty Museum was on Thursday and she thanked colleagues for '18 wonderful years' on her Facebook page which was quickly liked by over 60 people. An official announcement from the NGS is due after the Edinburgh Festival. BPH has known of the move since late June but had been asked to refrain from publishing by the NGS. As the news is now in the public domain and widely known BPH has taken the decision to publish.Those who know Lyden have widely welcomed the move with one person calling it 'awesome' and have commended the NGS for the appointment.

The SNG photography collection consists of 863 images and the Photography Gallery, refurbished in 2012, is named The Robert Mapplethorpe Photography Gallery in recognition of a $300,000 donation from the Mapplethorpe Foundation. The funding will, over the next three years, be used to support innovative displays, exhibitions, research and related publications in the new space.

Lyden is currently an Associate Curator at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. She is one of seven curators in the Museum's Department of Photographs, which was established in 1984 and has a collection of approximately 100,000 objects emphasizing the first 150 years of the medium. Contemporary photography has become increasingly relevant to the Museum's mission and all staff participate in portfolio reviews to inform themselves about current practices while critiquing work and offering insights into the manner in which large institutions like the Getty may spend several years following the career of an artist before committing to acquisitions or an exhibition. Lyden has been a reviewer for Atlanta Celebrates Photography; Review LA, Los Angeles; Palm Springs Photo Festival; and PhotoNOLA in New Orleans.Her final exhibition A Royal Passion. Queen Victoria and Photography will open at the Getty in 2014.

A native of Scotland, Lyden received her Master of Arts degree in the history of art from the University of Glasgow and her Master of Arts in museum studies from the University of Leicester, England. Since joining the Getty in 1996, she has curated numerous exhibitions drawn from the Museum's permanent collection, including the work of Hill and Adamson, P.H. Emerson, Frederick H. Evans, John Humble, and Paul Strand. She is the author of several books including,Railroad Vision: Photography, Travel and Perception (2003), The Photographs of Frederick H. Evans (2010) and A Royal Passion. Queen Victoria and Photography (forthcoming, 2014).

Job: Research Assistant - William Henry Fox Talbot Catalogue Raisonne Project

Posted by Michael Pritchard on September 29, 2017 at 6:30

TheWilliam Henry Fox Talbot Catalogue Raisonné project requires a Research Project Assistant to assist the project director, Professor Larry J Schaaf, in bringing together the collection of this revolutionary inventor and photographer's work. Talbot was one of the earliest pioneers of photography in the 19th Century, and invented the technique of printing photographs onto paper. Professor Schaaf has spent the last 40 years creating a detailed database of Talbot's more than 4000 unique images, and tens of thousands of prints. The Catalogue Raisonné project aims to bring this database together with images donated from institutions and collectors around the world to create a comprehensive online catalogue accessible by researchers and members of the public alike. Working in conjunction with colleagues in Bodleian Digital Library Systems and Services (BDLSS), you will support Professor Schaaf in reviewing, editing and rewriting database records into a standard format, contact public and private collections with regards to image rights and perform research tasks to improve the quality of database records. You will have familiarity and interest in the early history of photography and knowledge of 19th Century history and photographic technology as well as experience of dealing with photographic curators, managers of image rights and private owners of originals. Able to use Microsoft Office software with experience of using a database, you will also be self-motivated, possess excellent organisational and communication skills and have the ability to organise your own workload. This is a full-time post on a fixed-term contract for approximately 6 months. Please discuss secondments with your line manager in the first instance, as you must have their agreement that you can be released for a secondment before you submit an application. You will be required to upload a Supporting Statement as part of your online application. Your Supporting Statement should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CV’s will NOT be considered as a substitute for a Supporting Statement. Only applications received online by 12.00 midday on Monday 9 October 2017 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place during week commencing 16 October 2017.
Contact Person :	Recruitment Team Leader	Vacancy ID :	131230
Contact Phone :	01865 277133	Closing Date :	09-Oct-2017
Contact Email :	personnel@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

See more here: https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=131230

Fotografiska - London Museum of Photography to open 2018

Posted by Michael Pritchard on August 15, 2017 at 7:30

Fotografiska, Stockholm's centre for contemporary photography, is to open a new building to be called Fotografiska - London Museum of Photography in 2018.

Fotografiska - London Museum of Photography will occupy the lower ground floors and a new office pavilion at The White Chapel Building, designed by Fletcher Priest Architects, at 10 Whitechapel High Street, E1, This is Fotografiska's first gallery outside Stockholm and will add another important cultural and leisure hub to the fast improving Whitechapel area. Fotografiska is also believed to be about to lease a 45,000 sq. ft space in New York on Park Avenue South.

In London, the initial rent is £2.4m per annum or £27 per sq ft. with Fotografiska occupying the whole of Phase 2 comprising 89,000 sq ft on a 15-year lease.

John Burns, Chief Executive Officer of Derwent London, said: “We are very excited to welcome Fotografiska - The London Museum of Photography to The White Chapel Building. We believe their arrival will be a major benefit to the area and Fotografiska’s character endorses the Group’s focus on good design. This pre-let means that we will have successfully let the entire property."

Tommy Rönngren, Founding partner and Chairman of the Board of Fotografiska London, said: “Derwent is a developer with great creative vision and we chose to work with them because of the combination of the building itself and the creative heritage of Derwent. Fotografiska has for a long time been searching for suitable facilities in London, one of the world's most dynamic cities when it comes to photography. Whitechapel, which is one of London's most dynamic areas, will be a perfect location. It will be really exciting to bring the concept of Fotografiska to London.”

Fotografiska, is a privately-run 'museum' of photography on the waterfront in Stockholm and opened 2010, although, as Wikipedia pithily points out, it is not a museum having no collection, conducting no research and it is for profit. Fotografiska describes itself as an international meeting place where everything revolves around photography. In practice this means exhibitions and commercial activities which attract some 550,000 visitors annually. The founders of Fotografiska are brothers Jan and Per BromanIt and it is co-owned by venture capitalist Jan Tommy Rönngren.

Obituary: David Alan Mellor (1948-2023)

Posted by Michael Pritchard on October 26, 2023 at 21:01

The curator, academic and writer David Mellor (he added 'Alan' to avoid confusion with the politician of the same name) has died aged 75 years at his home in Machynlleth, Wales. He was awarded the Royal Photographic Society's J Dudley Johnston (2005) and Education (2015) awards.

Mellor studied art at Sussex University from 1967 under Quentin Bell. During this time Asa Briggs, then Vice-Chancellor of the University, received the archive of Mass-Observation from Tom Harrisson. Mellor published and curated exhibitions about the substantial collection of pre-war photographs of working-class life contained in the archive. He stayed at Sussex until his retirement in 2018. In the words of Maurice Howard he was one of the country’s leading scholars in the fields of twentieth century painting, film and photography.' Mellor had an extensive list of publications to his name and curated significant exhibitions on Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, and on Robin Denny, Cecil Beaton and Bill Brandt. He curated major exhibitions at the Barbican and Tate, most memorably Paradise Lost: The New Romantic Imagination in Britain (1987) and The Sixties (1993), at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.

Mellor was also a director of Brighton's Photoworks and the Brighton Photo Biennial, and Edinburgh's cooperative Photography Workshop from 1996 to 2011.

As Howard notes 'As a teacher, generations of students testify to his unique insights into British culture. David was teaching the inter-relations of media long before the subject became an academic discipline at the University and was sensitive to art and the environment from the beginning of his career'.

With thanks to Paul Hill (seen on the right, in the picture left) who notes: 'So sad to get the news of the the death of photo historian and teacher. David Mellor (left). We worked together quite a few times - up here in Derbyshire at The Photographers Place workshop in the 70s, Salford ‘80, and latterly talking about The Real Britain project at the 2014 Brighton Biennial. Great scholar and lovely guy….'

See:

FP Bride Daguerreotype -

Posted by JanetLehr on March 28, 2009 at 13:43

Gentlemen, my great pleasure to research with you - Imagine, had we had access to google search when we began our careers?? Two words typed into google: Bridal Daguerreotypes brought three photography afficionados together. I began this morning determined to learn as much about this stunning bridal daguerreotype as I am able. I have no external clues. The work was purchased many years ago. It is framed, so no preserver or case for clues. I have not examined the plate - a logical next step. I'd put it away, like a squirel. In my exuberence, having just had my apartment repainted, fresh surfaces brought me to fresh thoughts about those wonderful objects which enrich our surroundings. Yes, I'm very much in business - and the first client who came up - yesterday - said 'comme bien'. I was caught flatfooted. When I bought the work it was as a Brady, I really bought it because it was such a beautiful daguerreotype - and I paid a Brady price. But, now I need to properly attribute it - No furniture for clues, only a beautiful cut velvet cloth. I am so pleased to reacquaint with you both. Have you any thoughts on my investigation?Meeting this way brings my thoughts back to my first meeting with Beaumont in 1968. I'd been 'bitten' by photography. In looking around, for people who shared my enthusiasm, to see work, I quickly found Beaumont at GEH. I called the House, he and I spoke for some time, he was very generous with his time. The conversation was coming to a close when I asked a simple question, something had been nagging at me - that there were very few people interested in the photograph. I ask, "How many people are there interested in photography?" Beau replied, "Now we are six."Mark, Gordon - I hope you are very well and flourishing. Janet

Book launch: Carrying Off the Palaces: John Ruskin's Lost Daguerreotypes

Posted by Michael Pritchard on March 19, 2015 at 7:00

Last night saw the launch of Ken and Jenny Jacobson's Carrying Off the Palaces: John Ruskin's Lost Daguerreotypes at the publishers, Quaritch. The long-awaited book more than lived up to everyone's expectations - it is a stunning volume, well-research and well-illustrated as one would expect. BPH will carry more on the content shortly.

You can read more about the history of the book here and how to purchase a copy. It remains at a special price of £75, until 31 March 2015. Contact: Alice Ford-Smith at Quaritch (a.ford-smith@quaritch.com) to order. The United States launch will be in New York at AIPAD in April.

The images show Ken and Jenny with their book, with their daughter, and views of the launch.

Outcry as Royal Society for Asian Affairs sells off historic books and photographs (UPDATED 2)

Posted by Michael Pritchard on April 18, 2015 at 17:30

The Royal Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA), a registered charity with Royal Charter, with a mission 'to promote greater knowledge and understanding of Central Asia and countries from the Middle East to Japan' and the specific objective 'to conserve all of the Society’s valuable archives, photographic and written' is offering thirteen lots of rare books and early and important photographs at a Sotheby's auction later this month. The lots are expected to realise around £250,000. A number of academics, curators and librarians have mounted a campaign to protest against the sale.

Amongst the photographs being sold are important albums by J C Watson showing China c.1867-1870; John Thomson's Antiquities of Cambodia, c1867; J C White photographs of Sikhim and Tibet and others.The lots can be seen here.

The sale appears to be the result of the RSAA's spending exceeding income since at least 2009, although it does have investments of nearly £300,000. The RSAA's accounts and Charity Commission filings can be viewed here.

This is not the first time that the RSAA has tried to sell part of its historic archive. In 2014 a unique map annotated by T E Lawrence was offered at a Sotheby's auction with an estimate of £70,000-100,000. It was withdrawn soon after news of the sale broke. Read more here.

There have been a number of sales from UK museum and gallery collections as local authorities have attempted to preserve services in the face of government funding cuts. This recently prompted an unprecedented joint statement by ten of the UK's leading funding, membership and museum bodies on unethical sales of public collections. The signatories which include Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund will refuse to work with, or provide grants or funding, to museums whose governing bodies choose to sell items from their collections in contravention of long-standing de-accessioning protocols.

At the time of writing the RSAA was unavailable for comment and it has been asked for a statement on the forthcoming sale. This will be published here when it is provided.

Image: From lot 257. Watson, Major J.C., Dr John Dudgeon, John Thomson, (and others?). ALBUM OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF PEKING (BEIJING), NINGPO (NINGBO), AND ENVIRONS. [CHINA, LATE 1860S]. Estimate £40,000 — 60,000

Original post: 8 April 2015 / UPDATED: 18 April

The RSAA issued a statement on 15 April acknowledging 'the deep and understandable concerns' of members and non-members. It added that the sale was essential to ensure the long-term future of the Society and that 'no further sales are envisaged'.

UPDATE 2: 4 May

The sale realised £136,250 (including buyer's premium) and it is likely that the RSAA will net less than £100,000, much less than the exoected £250,000 plus originally expected.

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Note: this page contains paid content.