Blogs

In 1974, photographers Terry Dennett and Jo Spence made repeated visits to 'illegal' Gypsy and Traveller sites in and around London. They got to know the people who lived there, documenting their lives in sound and image. The results of their project never formed a dedicated exhibition or a comprehensive publication, either then or since. Our Studio Was The World makes this powerful and still strikingly relevant work accessible to a new audience, with over 280 newly scanned (and in some cases newly discovered) images and previously unpublished texts. 

As Dennett commented, Gypsies and Travellers were 'persecuted terribly... talk about the Nazis!' Today, they remain socially marginalised, over-policed and discriminated against.

Together and individually, Terry Dennett and Jo Spence are among the most influential figures in radical British photography, with their impact extending far beyond image-making - into publishing, exhibiting, teaching and shaping photographic theory. Our Studio Was The World is the first in a ground-breaking trilogy of books - alongside Terry Dennett: The Crisis Project and Jo Spence: The Unknown Recordings - which explores their unpublished work, ideas and committed socialist perspective.

Our Studio Was The World
Terry Dennett & Jo Spence
MuseumsEtc, 2026
£35 (print) or eBook £25
Details:https://museumsetc.com/products/our-studio-was-the-world?variant=42460921757777

The latest number of The Classic, the magazine about fine classic photography, is now available in printed form from selected outlets and for free download. It includes features on the Leitz auction house photography specialist; Michael Hoppen Gallery; Conservator Nicholas Burnett's personal collection of photographic processes, Toronto's Image Centre; and more. 

Download here: https://theclassicphotomag.com/the-classic-09/

Greetings from Lakeville, Connecticut - I will be be brief as the Fall is living up to its name and I have to go an rescue our lawn from the smothering embrace of several million(?) Sugar Maple leaves.

I am running an auction centered on Photographs and Photography which ends tomorrow. The sale of just over 250 lots is rich in semi-precious stones rather than gems, but, there is something for everyone. So, please go to https://antiquarianauctions.com/; and enjoy. NB if you find something that you would like to bid on you will need to register with us (a very simple process).

Thank you and good luck!

Adam Langlands

The International Journal on Stereo & Immersive Media (IJSIM) is an open-access and peer-reviewed journal that reflects on immersive media cultures developed by historical media and/ or state-of-the-art technologies. IJSIM is a Scopus-indexed journal edited since 2017 that explores the immersive features of modern media, ranging from Panoramas and Stereoscopic Photography to Extended Reality Media. 

For its 2026 issue, the International Journal on Stereo & Immersive Media welcomes papers addressing one or more of the following themes:
1- Stereoscopic Photography and Cinema;
2- Stationary and Moving Panoramas;
3- Optical Shows and Peep Media;
4- Cinema and Sound Media Archaeologies;
5- Media Art Installations;
6- Extended Reality (XR) Media;
7- Sonic Art and New Technologies;

Full paper submissions for Issue No.10 are due by 1 July. 

Find registration and submission information at http://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/stereo/information/authors 

Back numbers can be read here: https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/stereo/issue/archive

A blue plaque was unveiled by Perth Civic Trust at 62 Princes Street in Perth, Scotland to honour the local photographer, Magnus Jackson (1831-1891), at his former studio and shop, built in 1884. The plaque represents a growing recognition of Scotland’s rich contributions to the global history of photography. Magnus’s collection of 2,500 glass wet plate collodion negatives is cared for by Culture Perth and Kinross Museum and Art Galleries, representing the earliest collection of photographs that capture life in Victorian Perthshire. 

Magnus was born in Perth in 1831 to Thomas Jackson and Helen Miller, one of six children. His father’s business, established in 1826, at 70 George Street, operating as a picture-frame maker, looking-glass manufacturer, restorer of oil paintings and a print seller. Magnus was trained by his father as a carver and gilder, a trade he maintainened throughout his working life.

In the local newspaper of 1845, an article describes an engraving of his Grace, the Duke of Wellington from an Antoine Claudet daguerreotype being displayed in the window of his father’s shop. Antoine Claudet an early practitioner in photography excelled in producing daguerreotypes. It is possible that the picture on display inspired Magnus, aged fourteen at the time, to take up photography. He travelled to London in the early 1850s to be trained in the art of photography. He returned as a practiced photographer and a few years later in 1860 set up a modest wooden shed studio in Marshall Place.

Magnus Jackson’s first wooden shed studio in Marshall Place, Perth.

Magnus’s photographic subject matter was diverse, beyond the normal role of a studio photographer and included the earliest photographic records of Perth streets, buildings, people, and included events of fires, floods and the laying of foundation stones of major buildings. He also travelled widely around Perthshire capturing photographs of grand country houses and estates, shopkeepers, factories and workers.

Laying the foundation stone of Perth City Chambers 1878.

Animal photography was another source of income. Magnus submitted articles to The Photographic News and The British Journal of Photography in early 1881, titled Photography outside the studio. When referencing cattle photography, he notes his results. ‘My first attempt in this line was in the year 1856, and in two days I made somewhere about twenty fine, rich looking negatives’.

Shorthorn bull and handler

Magnus excelled in tree portraiture, and was awarded a silver medal at the
International Forestry Exhibition, Edinburgh in 1884. That year he also became the official photographer for the Scottish Arboricultural Society. In 1886, he was awarded the bronze medal and diploma of merit at the International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art in Edinburgh for fern and foxglove photographs.

Elm tree at Strathallan, Perthshire.

Magnus was actively involved in Perth’s public life and was a member of the
The Guildry Incorporation of Perth, Perthshire Society of Natural Science (PSNS), and The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He became a town councillor in 1878 and was appointed Perth’s Police Commissioner in 1885 overseeing the police department, fire services and street lighting. He also served as convenor of the local committees and the abattoir and was instrumental in the construction of Perth’s first public swimming baths.

The Guildry Incorporation at Craigmakerran House, 1864

Magnus Jackson, Photographer, Carver and Gilder and Perth Town Councillor died on 27 April 1891, aged 59. His business did continue for several years by his sons Thomas and Magnus Junior, then by Burrows Bros. When the photographic business finally closed in 1903 the contents of the studio were auctioned off, subsequently a selection of the glass plates were donated to the Sandeman Public Library in 1904.

Photographs Courtesy of Culture Perth & Kinross Museums & Galleries

https://collectionsearch.pkc.gov.uk/search.aspx

Join us at Side for What’s Next?, a public Q&A with Managing Director Laura Laffler and members of the senior team. This is your opportunity to hear directly about what lies ahead for Side as we near the end of our Transforming Amber: Building a Resilient Future project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

In 2023, Side lost its National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding from Arts Council England and was forced to close its doors. Over the last year, with support from the Heritage Fund, we have worked to lay the foundations for a more sustainable future. This includes the development of a new business model, changes to our exhibition programme, and the opening up of the AmberSide collection to new audiences through partnerships.

As this exploratory year concludes, we are now ready to share what happens next. This event will outline the next phase of our work. We will present key plans for the gallery and archive, explain how we are adapting to a difficult and uncertain funding environment, and provide updates on our efforts to rejoin public funding streams.

The national picture is challenging. The application process for new NPO funding has been delayed again. Local authority support for the arts continues to fall. But Side is committed to continuing its work and deepening its roots in the North East.

This session is for anyone who wants to understand where Side is heading and how we are continuing the mission that began in 1977. Attendance is free and all are welcome.

Side: What's Next? An open conversation about our future
25 August 2025, 1600-1700
Side Cinema, 5-9 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1JE
Free, registration required. 
Book: https://sidegallery.co.uk/whats-on/events/side-whats-next

The inaugural exhibition in the Chau Chak Wing Museum’s photography gallery examines the first photographic studios in New South Wales, Australia and the characters who ran them. The way we visualise much of the 19th century is framed by the work of commercial photographic studios. The new technology of photography, invented in 1839, led to the rise of these new businesses which found commercial opportunities in sales of photographs, especially portraits. The Business of Photography turns the lens onto the commercial studio, exploring the stories behind particular New South Wales photographers. Original photographs drawn from the Macleay Collection of historic photography are featured.

A supporting online/in-person event is: 

The Ramsey and Muspratt collection of negatives, given to Cambridgeshire Libraries' collection in the 1980s, comes to the rescue.

See the full story here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-56401868

Could you use your creativity and clear-thinking to deliver marketing that brings thousands of visitors through the Museum's doors? We're looking for a Senior Marketing Executive to take the lead on marketing some of our most important and exciting projects. You'll have a really solid grounding in marketing with experience of digital and you'll have a track record for effectively delivering multiple projects at one time.

You'll work closely with our media buyers and design agencies to turn that knowledge into campaigns that pack a punch online, offline and on social media. You'll find the stories, images and ideas that bring out the science and technology in our collections, enhance our reputation and strengthen our brand.

Closing Date: 13 November 2016.

Interviews will be held w/c 21 November.

Details here: https://jobs.theguardian.com/job/6413205/senior-marketing-executive/

In the V&A's continuing series of monthly blogs this latest post presents the archivist's view from Federica Beretta, the Royal Photographic Society Project Archivist. She reports on her progress unpacking and making sense of the documents, journals, correspondence and ephemera that make up the RPS Collection.

See:

2. Royal Photographic Society work in progress: the archivist’s perspective
1. Introducing the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) Project

Image: RPS ephemera: a collection of leaflets, private view cards and other documents from the early years to the 2000s. Image: Federica Beretta

This hybrid event, organised by the Historical Archives of the European Union with Photoconsortium and the EUreka3D-XR project, brings together professionals from renowned photographic institutions, research centres, and private image banks to explore the evolving landscape of photographic archives. What common challenges do photographic archives face, and what makes each case unique? How can new technologies support archival expertise? And how do we ensure that photographic heritage remains relevant, legible, and enriching for future generations?

To provide opportunities for early-career training for PhD students, the V&A has made available a range of doctoral placements based in collections departments, archives, the National Art Library, research, and collections care and access. Each placement is a discrete project designed by members of V&A staff (who will also act as the placement’s supervisor), involving collaborative as well as independent research.

The project will investigate holdings related to Latin America in the V&A Photography Collection. It will focus on objects acquired between 1850 and 1950, to situate findings in the context of early global networks and institutional connections to Latin America that can be mapped through photography. Many relevant holdings feature in bound photographic albums from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which are largely uncatalogued and undigitised. Other relevant holdings include topographical imagery, travel photographs and photographs of Latin American artefacts, as well as work by well-known photographers from the 20th century.

The placement will produce a survey of holdings related to Latin America in the Photography Collection, outlining historical context, scope and content. It will create a findings list for uncatalogued objects; and undertake more detailed provenance and object-level research for a defined group of material, resulting in new or enhanced catalogue records. The student will be encouraged and supported to write a blog post and lead a Print Room event relating to their work.

The project builds on momentum across the V&A to engage with Latin America. It will contribute new ways of thinking through institutional histories, and ripen collections for use in the Photography Section’s contemporary commissioning programme.

This is an unpaid doctoral placement that is financially supported by the successful applicant’s PhD stipend in line with UKRI guidance.

See: https://vam.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/3515597?cid=3279&rsid=24732&js=0&LinkType=1&FromSearch=False

Newcastle's Side Gallery which closed last year after losing its Arts Council England NPO status (see here) is seeking the views of supporters and the public as it looks to the future. In an email from Laura Laffler, Director at Amber Film & Photographty Collective she said:

Thanks to your support, we can continue to digitise our archive, take part in exhibitions nationwide and support the next generation of North East documentary artists. We will find out about several major funding opportunities in the next few weeks, and you’ll be the first to receive an update.  But right now, more than anything, we need your feedback. Galleries should exist for everyone, and we believe the best way to relaunch our space is with community and collaboration at its core. Our next steps are to take survey responses and turn them into an in-person event where, together, we can co-create the next chapter of the Side Gallery.

To share your views click here

Since the advent of film in the late nineteenth century, moving images have been integral to making and communicating science. A rich interdisciplinary literature has examined such representations of science in the cinema and on television and investigated how scientists have used moving images to conduct research and communicate knowledge. Responding to growing interest in science and the moving image, this online workshop uses the concept of ‘intermediality’ as a starting point to discuss new approaches and methodologies. Intermediality, coined by media scholars to describe the interplay between different media, magnifies their multiple meanings and heterogenous interrelations. Moving images especially invite intermedial analysis because they are often composed of interrelated visuals, speech, music, and text; film can also be cut into stills for reproduction in newspapers, advertisements, and journals. Intermedial approaches thus allow scholars to assess not only the relationship between scientific practices and media forms, but also the afterlives, circulation, and reception of these media in a richer historical context. With its attention to relations and movement between media, intermediality also expands our understanding of the visual cultures of science, including in parts of the world and among groups that are underrepresented in current scholarship. We particularly invite submissions that use intermediality to engage critically with the scope and limits of science and the moving image.

Possible themes might include:

• Processes of translation between different media, including film, television, radio, and print
• Intermedial practices and histories of specific scientific disciplines
• Moving images in science education
• Transnational and comparative approaches to scientific image-making
• Time-lapse, frame-by-frame analysis, and other analytical methods as intermedial practices
• Representations of science in multimedia entertainment industries
• The relationship between moving images of science and the history of empire and colonization
• Amateur uses of moving image media, including citizen science
• The cultural reproduction through scientific images of gender, race, and class. 

Keynote speaker: Dr. Tim Boon (Head of Research and Public History, Science Museum Group)

We welcome talks from postgraduate students, early-career researchers and established scholars. We are looking for abstracts (max. 250 words) for 15-20 minute talks, which will be arranged in thematic panels. Submissions should be sent to movingimagescience@gmail.com. The deadline for proposals is June 28th, 2021 and we aim to respond to proposals within four weeks.

This workshop will take place online via Zoom and is hosted by the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge. The workshop is kindly supported by the Researcher Development Fund and the G.M. Trevelyan Fund.

Organised by: Miles Kempton, Max Long, Anin Luo

CfP: “Science and the Moving Image: Histories of Intermediality”
Location: Online (Zoom)
Date: November 2nd and 3rd, 2021. PM (UK time).

Image: Kineoptoscope projector, c.1897 A hand-coloured photographic magic lantern-slide showing a projectionist operating a Riley Kineoptoscope projector
Science Museum Group Collection

Glasgow's Street Level Photoworks has released a series of online photographer/artist talks from recently events. They comprise: 

• Recording of an artist talk by Peter Kennard at the book launch of 'Visual Dissent', Street Level Photoworks 2nd October 2019. See: https://youtu.be/rrQE2boay0g
• the launch of Roger Palmer's latest photobook SPOOR in September last year. SPOOR comprises groups of colour photographs made by Roger Palmer while following rail routes between towns and settlements of South Africa. The photographs were accumulated between 2014 and 2018 as Palmer drove along mostly minor roads through the country's nine provinces.https://youtu.be/VHnl18uaiC8
• Close Up artist talks, joined by Colin Gray as he reflected on his diverse career as a photographer and told us how he is adapting his practice during lockdown. https://youtu.be/kRrnEduwwUg