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NMSI to be retained by government

Posted by Michael Pritchard on October 15, 2010 at 7:00

The National Museum of Science and Industry - the parent body of the National Media Museum - is to be retained by government 'on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent from Government'. Its role was being reconsidered as part of the government review of all quangos. The level of the funding cuts is due to be announced next week.

The Cabinet Office notice is here.

Niepce role and images reappraised

Posted by Michael Pritchard on October 15, 2010 at 5:30

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s contribution to the history of photography has been elevated after the National Media Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute revealed new findings stemming from three of Niépce’s photographic plates.

The findings have been announced at a two-day Niépce in England conference at the National Media Museum in Bradford.

"Recent technical analysis by Getty Conservation Institute scientists Dusan Stulik and Art Kaplan has shown three of the photographic plates Niépce brought to England, which now reside at the National Media Museum, are not only his finest work, but also demonstrate a range of different photographic experiments – a portfolio of sorts – which he intended to show The Royal Society," say the two organisations involved in the findings.

At the heart of the discovery is the Un Clair de Lune plate, which was made in 1827. While that plate was long thought to have been enhanced with etching, it is actually a photograph without any hand tooling at all, the researchers say. "The secret process developed by Niépce? A pewter plate with a deposit of light-solidified material which resembles the resin obtained when heating lavender oil, which helped the plate accept the image." The plate is the first and only known example of this process.

Commenting on the discovery, senior scientist Stulik says: "Our findings are shining a different light on the early history of photography than has been previously described in literature. We have been able to create a fuller picture of Niépce and how he worked, and we can really demonstrate that everything related to photography that surrounds us today – digital cameras, film, TV, even 3D and videogames, go back to his inventions."

The plates were examined using nondestructive Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to identify the organic components of the image layer and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to determine the composition of the metal plates. High resolution digital microscopy also revealed details of the image structure.

Niépce brought the plates to England in 1827 to demostrate the techniques to The Royal Society, hoping to be admitted. "Unfortunately, during his time in England The Royal Society was in turmoil and Niépce was unable to share his experiments, his ambitions crushed. He died in 1833, leaving his sometimes collaborator Louis Daguerre to publicly reveal photography to the world in 1839," explains the National Media Museum.

"Of the four known surviving plates taken to England by Niépce, three reside in the National Media Museum’s Royal Photographic Society Collection and one is on display at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin – known as the First Photograph."

For more information, visit the museum website.

Blakemore archive goes to Birmingham

Posted by Michael Pritchard on October 15, 2010 at 5:28

Birmingham Central Library has acquired an important archive of photographic work by prominent artist John Blakemore, who was born in Coventry. The archive was acquired directly from the artist for £91,650, of which £42,695 came from the Art Fund. Additional support came from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Friends of the National Libraries and The University of Derby. The archive will be permanently housed in the new Library of Birmingham when it opens in 2013.

The collection includes exhibition prints and smaller reference prints, spanning Blakemore’s career from his first photographs made in Libya in 1956 through to large colour works exhibited in 2002. It represents not only the final photographs exhibited or published, but also allows for a comparative study of the artist’s development, especially through the inclusion of some pairs of prints made from the same negative at a distance of several years, and the rich selection of hand-made books beginning with his first, made in 1984, and including others made within recent years.

Pete James, Head of Photographs, Birmingham Library and Archive Services, said: “The John Blakemore Archive, a comprehensive collection of the artist’s best-known work, allows for the in-depth study of the development of the work of one of the leading figures in recent British photographic history. John's profound, yet accessible work, will engage, enthrall and help develop new audiences from all walks of life. This is an important addition to the Birmingham Photographic Collection as we develop the Library of Birmingham. When it opens in 2013, we will be able to showcase our collections for the first time, with state-of-the-art exhibition gallery space and new online facilities.”

“The Library has received a number of grants from the Art Fund enabling it to strengthen and diversify its collections, enhance its reputation as an international centre of excellence, and provide free public access to important material reflecting the history of photography in the UK and in the Midlands region.”

John Blakemore said: “I like the idea of my archive, having become used to the idea that I have such a thing, being housed close to my birthplace, and to the areas where the bulk of the work has been made.”

Stephen Deuchar, Director of the Art Fund, said: “With its arresting observations of nature, captivating portrait shots and beautiful still lives spanning several decades, this archive also includes negatives and hand-made books that have never before been on public display. We are delighted to fulfil John Blakemore’s wish in making this extraordinary archive available for future generations to experience, in the area where he is from.”

Professor Huw Davies, Dean Faculty of Arts, Design & Technology, University of Derby, said: “John Blakemore is a passionate educator who has inspired many generations of students and still continues to do so to this day. We are delighted to collaborate in the creation of this archive of his work, which provides a fitting and lasting legacy of his contribution to the photographic arts”.

Birmingham Central Library holds one of the UK’s national collections of photography. The collection was awarded Designated Status in 2006 in recognition of its national and international significance.

John Blakemore was born in Coventry in 1936. He discovered photography during National Service with the Royal Air Force in Tripoli in the 1950s and is self-taught. Wartime childhood experiences and Edward Steichen’s The Family of Man exhibition inspired him initially on his return home to photograph the people of Coventry and its post-war reconstruction. He initially worked as a freelance photographer for the Black Star agency and then in a variety of studios. He has worked in diverse areas of photography from documentary, through portraiture to still life, and is recognised as one of England's leading landscape photographers. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Photography at the University of Derby, where he taught from 1970 to 2001. Holding an MA in film studies, he is also an external assessor for the Royal College of Art.

Spain's greatest 19th century British photographer?

Posted by Michael Wong on October 14, 2010 at 10:16

Many historians considered Charles Clifford (1821-1863) as probably one of the greatest 19th century

photographer Spain has ever come across. He was not a prolific photographer as such as his total production consisted of only a few hundred negatives. But he was one of the few early photographers in Spain with a consistent artistic flare and masterful technique as evident in his images.

From 1850 he worked in Spain, and was court photographer to Queen Isabella II of Borbon. Some of his images of Queen Isabella, as well as Queen Victorian, can be found in the National Portrait Gallery. With his wife, Jane, he would useall the photographic processes available to him in his short lifetime. (He died in Madrid on New Year's Day in 1863 at the age of just 41.) For a few years he employed the daguerreotype and calotype processes in particular, and from 1857 he made albumen prints from wet-collodion glass-plate negatives.

Back in September and October of 1862, Clifford accompanied Queen Isabella II on a trip to Andalucia. Only three of his photo albums which Clifford gave to the Queen are know to exist; one held by the Hispanic Society of America (used in this exhibition); and the remaining two at the Royal Palace in Madrid and National Library respectively. Curated by Ana Gavin, an exhibition of around 40 of these images are now currently on show. The other 20 are of Cartagena and Murcia.

Details of the exhibition can be found here.

Photo: The Plaza de San Francisco in Sevilla, with the Giralda in the background - by Charles Clifford.

Archives: Early 20th century Limerick by Franz Sebastian Haselbeck

Posted by Michael Wong on October 13, 2010 at 12:23

A collection of images which include the War of Independence, the Civil War, Home Rule meetings, British soldiers parading in Sarsfield Barracks, and meetings of the Irish Volunteers in the early 20th century will be on display for the very first time.

Taken by Franz Sebastian Haselbeck (1885-1973), a photographer of German descent whose ancestors moved to Limerick in the 19th Century, it also includes pictures of the building of the Shannon Scheme where Mr Haselbeck not only recorded the construction of the country's first hydroelectric power station, but also worked as an interpreter for Siemens, who built the station. The collection has been restored by the ESB Archives and Patricia Haselbeck, the photographer's granddaughter.

The full report, plus a short video clip, can be found here, and details of the exhibition here.

Photos: Photographer Franz Sebastian Haselbeck; Members of the Royal Irish Constabulary on parade in 1913.

'Lady' goes on World Tour

Posted by Michael Wong on October 10, 2010 at 21:54

That's Lady Shallot to you and me! (not the gaga type).

Taken by one of Victorian pioneers of photography, Henry Peach Robinson of Tunbridge Wells, the image is made from two separate negatives illustrating a scene from a poem by Tennyson.

The Lady of Shallot is set to go on an international exhibition which explores the relationship between the mid-Victorian pre-Raphaelite painters and contemporary photographic artists. It starts in Washington at the end of this month, before moving to Paris.

It is one of Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery's most important works. Robinson worked at a studio in the Great Hall in Tunbrudge Wells for more than thirty years from the 1860s, and often combined several negatives to form one image. So much for Photoshop ...

Online Launch: Johnston Collection

Posted by Michael Wong on October 10, 2010 at 21:53

This unique collection represents the work of three generations of a local family of photographers who captured

images of life in and around Wick between 1863 and 1975. During that period they produced around 100,000 glass-plate negatives. Of these, nearly 50,000 survive and are held in trust by the Wick Society.

Brothers Alexander and James Johnston, Alex's son and Alex's grandson captured an era when Wick was the “herring capital of Europe.” “The silver darlings,” as the herring were nicknamed, attracted over a thousand boats which crowded into the harbour in August and September each year for the season and thousands of migrant workers swelled the town’s population. They were photographed preparing their boats, setting the tan sails for sea, landing catches, and onshore were recorded in scenes of intense activity which show the teams of workers who gutted, cured, packed and carted the salted herring barrels for export all over the world. The Johnston plates also show the boat builders, the coopers, rope makers, basket weavers, plumbers, shopkeepers and others in supporting industries to give a wonderful glimpse of social history.

The collection is now available online, and details can be found here.

125 years of Kodak ...

Posted by Michael Wong on October 10, 2010 at 21:52

Kodak recently celebrated 125 years of innovation at last month's Photokina in Cologne:

When 21st century high-tech meets 19th century photography ...

Posted by Michael Wong on October 7, 2010 at 23:27

The image was considered to be one of the finest examples, if not the most famous, in the history of

daguerrean photography. Taken in 1848 by Charles Fontayne and William Porter, it was a panorama spanning some 2 miles of the Cincinnati waterfront. They produced it using eight 6.5 by 8.5inch daguerreotype plates, a then-new technology, that in skilled hands of 19th century photographers was capable of displaying mind-blowing resolution.

Fast forward to 2006. To safeguard the image, Van Skalk, the manager of the Cincinnati Public Library, transported the photo to the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York to begin stabilization and conservation work using the most advanced methods of photographic preservation.

Using state-of-the-art digital microscopy, it exposed previously undetected damage to the image - information critical for the preservation specialists. But more importantly, due to the impressive quality of the 19th century daguerreotype, the digital microscope was able to provide an undistorted 30x magnification of the photo - an enlargement revealing unprecedented historic detail of Cincinnati's past.

After the restoration, the historians made a guess on the time and date the photos were taken by using old steamboat records, analysing the angle of shadow etc. They figured the shots must have been taken just before 2pm.

Guess what. There was a clock tower in one of the photos. And using the high-tech microscope scanner, the clock tower showed a time of .......

Read the full report here to find out the answer!

P.S. Use the zoom feature on that site or this other site here - I was amazed at the sharpness of the images - puts my 21st century digital camera to shame!

Photomonth Photofair this weekend

Posted by Michael Wong on October 7, 2010 at 18:00

As part of the East London Photography Festival, there will be a Photofair with over 100 stalls selling

photographs, books, prints and other services. It will be held this coming Saturday 9th October at the Spitalfields Traders Market. As always, it will be a hit and miss, but if you look hard enough you might find something of interest !

Maurice Broomfield 1916-2010

Posted by Michael Pritchard on October 7, 2010 at 12:45

The industrial photographer Maurice Broomfield whose work documented the inner landscape of industrial Britain from the 1950s to the 1970s has died. He succeeded through his striking photographs in revealing both the grit and beauty of the people, factories and processes which manufacture the everyday objects around us. The V&A have recently taken possession of the photographer's archive.

A full obituary can be found here.

John Claude White: Tibetian Gems auctioned off

Posted by Michael Wong on October 6, 2010 at 20:08

An album of rare photographs of Tibet taken by well-known British amateur photographer, John White (1853-1918), was sold for £38,000 at Bonham's India and Beyond sale yesterday. White, who served in the Indian Public Works Department from 1876, accompanied the Younghusband Mission to Tibet in 1903–4. During the campaign he made a series of mostly landscape photographs, including a number of impressive panoramas.

Head of Bonhams Book department, David Park said: "The India and Beyond sale has a reputation for unearthing the rare and unusual. These were all high quality works eagerly sought after by collectors and the prices reflect the strong level of interest both in the early history of photography and the lost worlds captured in these images."

The sale made over £250,00 in total, and the lot description can be found here.

Auction: Eaton S. Lothrop, Jr. Photographic Collection, Part II

Posted by Michael Wong on October 6, 2010 at 19:43

If you'd missed out on the first installment of this auction as mentioned in an earlier blog, fear not, as

the second lot is now online from today until 26th October. This second collection will consist of photographs, literature and research material, with British interests.

Details of the lots to be auctioned can be found here. Good luck!

Irish Photohistorian: Sean Sexton

Posted by Michael Wong on October 5, 2010 at 11:48

It has been said that Sean Sexton's collection of Irish photos is one of the greatest in the world. The

critically acclaimed Sexton collection has been published in several books, including The Irish: A Photohistory (Amazon link on the right: ISBN-10: 0500510970) with remarkable images depicting Ireland’s history from 1840 to 1940, and exhibited in many countries.

He is known to be incredibly knowledgeable, with a gift of spotting 'undiscovered' material. One being a photo album of images by a Royal Academician, Sir Frank Brangwyn, which he paid £1,500 in a Christie's auction, and sold 4 months later for a killing at a Sotheby's sale. Is is now on offer by an American dealer for about $375,000 to $400,000.

An exhibition of Sexton's collection will be on display at the Gallery of Photography, Dublin from 14th - 21st October. Details will be posted in the 'Events' section later in the week.

Exhibition: First Photographs of Hong Kong

Posted by Michael Wong on October 5, 2010 at 11:47

As mentioned in an earlier blog, part of The Hong Kong Photo Festival will feature an exciting new exhibition entitled "First Photographs of Hong Kong". It will showcase treasured photo collections of Hong Kong in the 19th Century loaned from museums in Paris and London, including the first published stereo photograph of Hong Kong landscape by P. Rossier and a series of exceptional panoramic views of Hong Kong and its harbor, including two beautiful ones dated March 1860 by the famous war photographer, F. Beato.

Over one hundred 19th centuryphotos of Hong Kong will be airlifted from France to be displayed in a 19th century building (Central Police Station Compound). This is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to offer the public a glimpse of Hong Kong in its olden days. This exhibition shall echo with the collective memory of the public, and show tourists worldwide Hong Kong’s developments over the past century.

With thesupport of the Development Bureau, the exhibition shall take place from 27th Nov to 27th Dec at the Central Police Station Compound, and details will be posted in the 'Events' section shortly.

Photo: Hong Kong 1858, P. Rossier

Manchester and J T Chapman - exhibition

Posted by Michael Pritchard on October 4, 2010 at 20:00

Following recent discoveries in the John Rylands Library Special Collections, UNDEREXPOSED is an exhibition in Collaboration withThe Museum of Science and Industry, celebrating the life of one of Manchester’s early photographic pioneers, J.T. Chapman.

Chemist, inventor and photographer, Chapman invented some of the processes that were to become standard in early photography. However, he is widely omitted from history books as he published his formula under the pseudonym ‘Ostendo non Ostento’ (I show, not boast). Working from Deansgate, Manchester, Chapman also invented and sold his own cameras and projectors.

The exhibition also showcases a selection of glass plate negatives, recently discovered and linked to the Langford Brooke family of Mere Hall in Cheshire, which have been cleaned, re-housed and digitised by CHICC.

CHICC is The Centre for Heritage Imaging and Collection Care, a JISC funded project to develop a Centre for Heritage Digitisation, based within the University of Manchester.

The John Rylands Library will be holding a series of events associated with the exhibition, for more information please contact 0161 306 0555 or email jrul.events@manchester.ac.uk

The exhibition is at the John Rylands Library, Crawford Room, from Wednesday 29 September to Sunday 28 November. Admission is free.

There will be a curator tour on Wednesday, 3 November between 1200-1300 and 1400-1500, both of which are free.

Early Photojournalism: 1855-1945

Posted by Michael Wong on October 4, 2010 at 15:23

The development of early photojournalism paralleled advancements in reproductions of the printed page, cameras, and film technology. In 1855, photographs taken by Roger Fenton of the Crimean War were translated into wood engravings in order to be published in The Illustrated London News.

The same was true of Wood & Gibson as well as Timothy O'Sullivan whose photographs of the American Civil War were illustrated in Harper's Weekly and Le Monde Illustré. By the late 1880s, the mechanical half-tone process provided images that were more faithful to the original photograph. Along with the inventions of the dry plate process and, later, roll film, the new breed of small, lightweight cameras with faster shutter speeds facilitated capturing unposed images.

This new exhibition bring together vintage and early prints dating from 1855 - 1945, and include iconic images by celebrated artists to anonymousgems.

Details of the exhibition can be found here.

Exhibition: The Central Axis of Beijing 1890-1960

Posted by Michael Wong on October 2, 2010 at 22:55

For the benefit of those BPH members interested in old China photography, there is an interesting

exhibition focussing on architecture in the city situated either directly upon or alongside what is known as the Axis of Beijing eg, the Temple of Heaven, the Imperial Palace and the Qianmen gate.

The Central Axis of Beijing was laid out in 1403 and can be traced even further back to the Mongol capital Dadu. This 7.8km-long stretch is therefore as old as the city itself. At "The Central Axis of Beijing – a photo exhibition", Beijing Postcards put pictures taken along the Axis on display. The pictures cover the period from 1890 to 1960, with the bulk of the pictures taken in the 1930s.

Apart from this, a side exhibition also tells the history of photography in China.

Details of the exhibition can be found here and here, and a video here.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.