Blogs

BBC Two Daytime has commissioned Reef Television to produce Britain's First Photo Album, a 10x30-minute series on the extraordinary achievement of Francis Frith, the pioneer Victorian photographer who embarked upon a colossal project to photograph as much of the United Kingdom as possible during the second half of the 19th century. The series will air from 12-23 March 2012. 

The pictures taken by Frith and his staff are viewed as one of the first and most comprehensive pictorial records of the UK, a wonderfully evocative record of our shared history, and equally a present-day insight into the social landscape of Britain.

Presented by John Sergeant, each episode will focus on four storylines, all inspired by a Frith photo. Over the series, 40 of Frith's best images will be showcased, demonstrating his remarkable endeavour to visually capture Britain on camera, along with another 40 new ones that John will take himself.

To get to the heart of each picture, John will look to unfold the significance of each image, bringing them to life by meeting present day people who have a connection to these stories from the past. Each show will have a fascinating mix of different stories, taking us on a journey across Britain.

This is the first time Frith's collection has been brought together in one series, and so Britain's First Photo Album will offer viewers a look back on this astonishing visual record of our nation: at what has changed; at what remains the same, and ultimately, what it tells us about who we are today.

A book with the same title will be published in February to accompany the series. John Buck of The Francis Frith Collection said: “We are delighted to be part of this project, which showcases our archive photographs in such an entertaining way. This tie-in book from the TV series will link the evocative Frith images with an insight into present-day Britain, forming a fascinating record of our shared history and the social landscape of our country, past and present.”

The book will include a selection of Frith’s photos, plus those taken by Sergeant of the same locations in the present day. Each chapter will focus on four storylines inspired by Frith’s photographs, as Sergeant travels the country to meet those with a connection to the images. Sergeant will also write a foreword.

In addition to the television programmes and book, and to harness the enthusiasm generated from the programme, BBC Learning is  working with a range of partners, including museums, libraries and historical societies to support free events which will tie in to the series. The programme airs at the beginning of March, with a call to action at the beginning of the series, and events will take place from the weekend 16-18 March.

How you can get involved

Organisations will be encouraged to host events and activities which encourage the public to find out about their local heritage and the history of photography. There are lots of ways to get involved - host an event or talk, design a walk, showcase local photographer’s work or the work of Francis Frith and much more.

BBC Learning is producing a number of resourses to support events and activities of many sizes these include:

 - Suggested Activity Guide

- Marketing Materials e.g. Posters and Postcards

- Souvenir learning booklets to accompany the series

- Stickers

- Downloadable bunting

Want more information?

If you are planning to run a Britain’s First Photo Album event, open workshop or exhibition the team can also offer support and help add your event to the Things To Do website, www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo  

If you would like more details about Britain’s First Photo Album, or would like to order resources, please email:  britainsfirstphotoalbum@bbc.co.uk

Designed by award-winning Irish architects O'Donnnell + Tuomey, the building features three dedicated floors of gallery spaces. By doubling the exhibition area we will be able to showcase established and high-profile artists alongside emerging photographic talent from around the world.

Situated at the heart of the building is the education floor, which will host a busy schedule of talks, workshops and events as well as a Study Room.

Complementing the exhibition and education floors will be new spaces for the Bookshop, Print Sales Room and Café, creating a lively street level meeting place.

Find out more

As many researchers and museum visitors will be aware the National Media Museum's Insight research centre has been closed while the Collections were reorganised. Insight has just re-opened. Brian Liddy, Curator of Collections Access, explains what has happened - and why it needed to happen...

'The Search for Eugenia Fynch - the story of Norfolk's unknown Victorian photographers' is the first book produced by the Acle Community Archive Group (ACAG) with the support of the Norfolk County Council Library and Information Service. It was published on 8th September 2011. 

The book recounts the forgotten story of a family of Victorian photographers and in reproducing over 100 of the stunning photographic images of the Finch family, depict the social history of Norfolk over almost three decades from 1860 to 1888. Photographs include views of Acle, Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Thetford, Aylsham, Cromer and many villages in the Broadland area such as Blofield, Cantley, Reedham, Fleggburgh, Winterton, Rollesby and Filby. It is a compelling tale of the fortitude and entrepreneurship of a struggling Victorian family that will be of interest to social, family and photographic historians alike.

The book can be purchased through Ebay.

No, not your next Terminator sci-fi sequel from Schwarzenegger, but New York Public Library's own take on its collection of 19^th century stereograms. The term comes from the combination of "stereogram plus animate".

Through this website, NYPL provides access to a wide selection of its archive of stereogram images, including shots of city architecture, outdoor landscapes, and even a few photos taken inside museums to bring it to 'life'. Users select composition and speed, creating an animated GIF that flickers between the two stereogram frames, giving the impression of 3D.

Give it a try yourself through the website here, and you can read an article on the artist who inspired the library to create the project here too.

And if you are hooked on these animated stereograms, check this website here too for some amazing ones by the Japanese photographer, T Enami, who shot 3D stereoviews of Japan during the Meiji Period.

Last on public view in 1913, this is the largest collection of Ponting’s original carbon prints assembled for nearly a century!
The Atlas Gallery, Marylebone, will unveil a major collection of rare vintage photographs – the original prints taken from the negatives in 1913 - by Herbert G. Ponting, the official expedition photographer of the infamous British Antarctic “Terra Nova” Expedition to the South Pole, lead by Captain Robert Falcon Scott between 1910–1912.  In total over 50 images by Herbert Ponting and Captain Scott will be on display.

The unique selling exhibition - The Great White South - will offer collectors the opportunity to purchase these valuable antique Carbon Print Photographs, which range in price from £12,000 - £27,000. The original 1913 carbon prints on display, which are in exceptional condition, have not been exhibited publicly for nearly 100 years, and many remain in their original Edwardian frames.  The Atlas Gallery show is the largest exhibition of Ponting’s original Polar photographic prints assembled since first being displayed at the Fine Art Exhibitions between 1913 and 1915.

The Atlas Gallery’s selling exhibition is from the collection of antique photography collector Richard Kossow, who started collecting Ponting’s polar photographs over 25 years ago.  Kossow, a Literary Dealer, had his interest in Ponting’s photography sparked through his research into the diaries and memoirs of the Edwardian Polar explorers.  After finding many of Ponting’s original prints in appalling states of decay, he devoted his collecting towards finding Ponting’s best-preserved original photographs, wherever possible in their original frames. These museum-quality works are exclusively represented by the ATLAS Gallery.

In addition to the collection of the original carbon prints produced in 1913, there will also be a new limited edition collection of 48 platinum prints, published in a special portfolio in association with the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, available for purchase.  Handmade from Ponting’s original negatives, the prints will be exhibited with specially commissioned essays by experts including author and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, which provide a fascinating insight into the incredible story behind these remarkable photographs.  The platinum print portfolios are priced at £25,000 for the complete portfolio with individual prints from around £800.

The official press release, including the price list, can be found here, and details of the exhibition here.

A case, heard at the Patents County Court in London on 12 January, could have serious implications for photographers, according to photographic copyright expert Charles Swan, a lawyer at Swan Turton, who said: 'His honour Judge Birss QC decided that a photograph of a red London bus against a black and white background of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, with a blank sky, was similar enough to another photograph of the same subject matter to infringe copyright.'

Hence, photographers who compose a picture in a similar way to an existing image risk copyright infringement, lawyers have warned following the first court ruling of its kind. You can read the rest of the article in this Amateur Photographer report here.

The Star newspaper reports on Simon Robinson's collection of photographs taken by street photographers which is 'exciting' officials at the National Media Museum which is organising an exhibition on them in 2012. A book is also being published.

Simon Robinson had been collecting old photos for more than three decades when, two years ago, his sister noticed something rather peculiar. Among the thousands of snaps bought in bulk from antique shops, jumble sales and postcard fairs were hundreds of strikingly similar pictures of people walking along town streets. They featured different subjects in different places from different decades but the style was always virtually identical – person mid-stride, rarely looking at the camera, urban-life carrying on all around them.

“I hadn’t noticed the similarities before,” says the 57-year-old of Stannington. “But I was fascinated – especially because some were clearly taken in Sheffield. I had no idea what the connection was.” Two years on, his quest to find out has seen him travel across the country, discover hundreds more photos, and will, this year, result in a unique book which is already exciting officials at Bradford’s National Media Museum... The full report can be found here: http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/the-diary/a_brisk_walk_down_memory_lane_1_4176252

Simon is still looking for more ‘walkies’ for the book. If you have one which might be suitable email admin@easyontheeye.net or call 0114 233 3024.

Colin Harding, Curator at the National Media Museum has undertaken extensive research into 'walkies', the photographers and companies which led to the exhibition Sunny Snaps. 

If you happen to be in Jo'burg this summer, do try and pop into this unique museum located on the top floor of Museum Africa along Bree Street, Newtown. Established in 1968, the collection includes more than 400 antique cameras, 5,000 photographs and 2,000 photographic books, dating back to 1860 - all of these were part of a 30-year collection donated to the museum by Dr Arthur Bensusan, an amateur photographer and one-time Johannesburg mayor, in 1968.

It houses spy cameras from the 1800s, a camera that once belonged to Winston Churchill, as well as what may well be the first official war photograph, a Crimean War scene taken in 1854. There is also a display on the development of cinematography. For those research/ephermera fans, there is a specialised library filled with photographic cuttings, pamphlets, journals, books and magazines on the work of photographers, their equipment and processes and techniques. The book collection is broad and includes reference works, how-to guides in many fields, and a large collection of the published work of photographers.

One of their star attractions on display is the negative of the oriel window in Lacock Abbey by Fox Talbot.  It was purchased by the City of Joburg from Bensusan back in 1970 for R860.

Details of the Museum can be found here.

How do we tell the story of photography’s beginnings? Who invented the medium? When and where was the first photograph made? What shaped the earliest ideas about and conventions of photography? Why do we ask such questions?

Friday, April 27, 2012
9:30am-5:30pm

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Teleconference Lecture Hall, Alexander Library

169 College Avenue

New Brunswick, NJ

Participants: Jordan Bear, University of Toronto; Mirjam Brusius, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and University of Cambridge; Marcy Dinius, DePaul University; Anne McCauley, Princeton University; Terry Matilsky, Rutgers University; Julia Munro, Georgia Institute of Technology; Stephen Pinson, New York Public Library; Beth Saunders, CUNY Graduate Center; Shawn Michelle Smith, Art Institute of Chicago

Introductions by organizers Tanya Sheehan and Andrés Zervigón, Rutgers University

Sponsored by the Center for Cultural Analysis, School of Arts and Sciences, and the Office of the Vice President for Research at Rutgers University.
 
For more information, please visit http://cca.rutgers.edu or contact developingroom@gmail.com.
  
Photography&its Origins Poster

If you want to know what the connection is, then have a read of this interview with Brian May, whose exhibition is currently on at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol.

Organised in partnership with the National Media Museum and featuring photographs from the Collection of The Royal Photographic Society, this new exhibition to be held at the Holburne Museum in Bath surveys the many ways in which photographers have explored still life.

Entitled Art of Arrangement: Photography and the Still Life Tradition, it includes photographs by Ansel Adams, Harold Edgerton, Roger Fenton, T R Williams, Edward Steichen, William Henry Fox Talbot and Madame Yevonde, as well as contemporary photographers such as Chris Killip and Don McCullin.

Details of the exhibition can be found here, and the 3 accompanying exhibition talks are also listed in the Events section. The talks include former RPS Curator Pam Roberts talking about Roger Fenton.

Photo: Dessert, about 1923. Frederick G.Tutton. The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the National Media Museum

Brass, a Leeds-based marketing agency, has been appointed by the National Media Museum to help it launch and attract visitors to the museum new gallery called Life Online which will open in March 2012..
Life Online will be the world's first gallery to explore the social, technological and cultural impact of the internet and web. It will trace the history of the internet, show how it has changed people's lives and track the latest trends.

Brass is engaged to work with the National Media Museum, to devise digital content and social media strategies that will generate physical footfall to the gallery and provide long term interaction with various digital exhibits being created to keep the Life Online content up to date and relevant to changing trends and technological advances.

Mark Kelly, Andrew Brown and Ally Manock from Brass are also part of the Museum's Life Online Advisory Panel tasked with informing elements of the exhibition content and audience marketing.

Commenting on the creation of Life Online, Tom Woolley, curator of new media at the National Media Museum said, "Life Online is an exciting project which will be powered by ideas, thoughts and opinions of physical and virtual visitors to the gallery. We hope to create an invaluable and continuous public archive of society's relationship with the internet and web."

Mark Kelly, digital solutions director at Brass said, "This is a fascinating assignment for Brass to be associated with and will ensure that we remain at the forefront of knowledge with regard to the evolution of the internet and web based communications and how they change and impact on people's daily lives".

The National Media Museum's London presence, MediaSpace, at the Science Museum moves a step closer. A contract has been issued for preparatory works at the Science Museum:

• Enabling works contract - located at Science Museum London.
• Reconfiguration of 4 existing galleries on 2nd floor of Museum.
• Erecting hoardings.
• Demolition of existing walls and removal of existing steel mezzanine structure.
• Removal of existing false ceiling.
• Strip out of mechanical and electrical installations.
• Removal of all waste from site.

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is pleased to offer a two-year advanced training fellowship in the conservation of photographic materials beginning in the fall of 2012. Under the supervision of the Conservator of Photographs, the Fellow will participate in all departmental activities including examination, documentation, analysis, and treatment on the Carter’s extensive collection of photographs, and will contribute significantly to the institution’s program of exhibitions. In addition, the Fellow will conduct research on the collection and is expected to produce a formal paper before the end of the appointment based on research completed during the fellowship.

The Fellowship will provide excellent hands-on treatment experience and practice in conservation management for the museum’s collection. By participating in all the departmental activities, the Fellow will gain professional experience in the conservation of photographs while commencing a conservation career.

The Fellowship includes a competitive stipend with monthly study/research/housing allowance. Office hours will be scheduled Monday through Friday (no telecommuting).

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As such, the museum pledges to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual preference, national origin, disability, or status as a veteran.

The application deadline is February 13, 2012. Send cover letter, resume, and two letters of recommendation to HR Manager, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107 fax 817.665.4315 or to human.resources@cartermuseum.org. Further details can be found here.

In case any BPH readers are researching on this late Victorian and Edwardian postmistress/assistant chemist, but who enjoyed photography as a hobby in her spare time, the West Derby Society has a collection of 156 of her original glass plates which gives a strong female slant on life in northern England more than a century ago. She focused mainly on fashions, children and characters including men in uniforms!

The Center for Creative Photography (CCP) at the University of Arizona seeks an experienced, creative, and effective leader for its internationally renowned acquisition and exhibition programs. The Center is the world's largest archive repository and research center for the study and appreciation of modern American photography that reaches an international audience through an active exhibition and loan program. The collections include 100,000 fine prints by over 2,000 artists, 5 million photographic archive objects (negatives, contact sheets, manuscripts, and other documentation), oral history and other media materials, and a library of rare books, journals, artists' books, and exhibition catalogs.

As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, the University of Arizona recognizes the power of a diverse community and encourages applications from individuals with varied experiences and backgrounds.

Details of the job description, requirments etc can be found here. Post (Job No: 49311) will remain open until filled. Good luck!

Further to this earlier blog, this remarkable collection of 109 Antarctic photographs as seen through the eyes of Captain Scott as he documented the first part of his epic journey to the South Pole will now be saved for the nation by the Scott Polar Institute thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund which enabled their acquisition - exactly 100 years to the day since his expedition reached the South Pole!

The photographs themselves were printed in the Antarctic by members of Scott's team as they waited for his return from the Pole, and for most of the past 70 years were considered lost.  Many pictures of the expedition were taken by the official photographer Herbert Ponting but these are the only photographs in existence taken by Scott himself. The pictures have been owned by a private enthusiast in America for ten years before being saved by the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), at Cambridge University, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). They are being unveiled today to mark the 100th anniversary of the expedition reaching the pole.

Thanks to a previous HLF award, the original 1,700 glass-plate negatives of Herbert Ponting's photographs were bought by SPRI in 2004. The acquisition of Scott's own photographs brings the two collections together for the first time, making this the largest photographic record of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910 – 1912.

The purchase of the photographs by SPRI will allow the images to be reunited with Scott's camera, which was given to the Institute by the late Lady Philippa Scott in 2008. Once they have been fully conserved, the photographs will be digitised and made available online.

You can read the original HLF press release here and SPRI's here, and a news article here, with exhibition details here.

The Royal College of Art will be holding a number of special events throughout this year to celebrate its dodransbicentennial (that's 175th years to people like me who needed to check wikipedia!). This will include exhibitions, alumni events in the USA and UK, and the publication of a history of the RCA written by Fiona McCarthy. Neville Brody, Dean of the School of Communication, has designed the special 175 anniversary logo, which will be used throughout the year.

Of interest to BPH readers might be the New Masters' programmes coming on stream in 2012 which includes one on History of Photography & Film, Moving Image, and Documentary Animation.

Purpose of the Job

Delivers day to day records and enquiries management duties including:

•efficient processing of enquiries;

•facilitation of retention of corporate information held in paper and electronic records current and closed;

• facilitation of compliance with regulatory and legal requirements and information rights legislation across NMSI; and

•provision of advice and easy and appropriate access to information for internal and external researchers.

Key Deliverables/Accountabilities

1.Supporting delivery of efficient and legally compliant records management and enquiries service congruent with national museum and non-departmental public body status.

2.Operates within extensive statutory and regulatory framework.

3.Provides advice and appropriate access to information to all NMSI staff and visitors.

4.Contributory care for the physical care and organisation of the corporate record (c 80,000 paper records and for electronic records as they are established).

5.Promoting the service across NMSI in order to ensure buy-in from all teams.

6.Supervision of volunteers on specific projects.

7.Technical advice regarding records management and access to information issues.

8.Take care of own personal health and safety and that of others and report any health and safety concerns appropriately. Ensure proactive compliance with NMSI H&S Policies, including risk assessments and implementing safe systems of work.

Working Relationships and Contacts

•Corporate Information and Enquiries Manager (line-manager) and Head of Corporate and Collections Information (CCI) for direction, guidance and support.

•Liaising with colleagues in CCI team and the wider Information Group to receive and provide support and advice and to work on joint projects.

•Staff at all levels of NMSI to provide advice and guidance on access to information issues and records management.

•Supervision of volunteers and interns regarding specific records management projects.

•Providing support to members of the public regarding enquiries or granting access to paper records.

Line Management and Budget Responsibility

Directly line manages: 0

Indirectly line manages: 0

Contractors/freelancers: 0

Budget Holder of £ 0

Candidate Profile

Experience

•Sufficient experience to be able to undertake records management tasks without direct supervision.

•Familiarity with the main elements of records management theory and practice and best practice standards including legislative requirements for access to information enquiries.

•Ability to work methodically with an analytical approach to problem solving taking the initiative within policy and precedent.

Skills, Knowledge and Relevant Qualifications

•Good written and oral communication skills to obtain and impart knowledge

•Knowledge of legislation, guidance and directives governing records management and information rights and an appreciation of their impact

•Good working knowledge of standard information technology packages and their applications and the ability and willingness to adapt to new systems

Behaviours

•Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills

•Pays meticulous attention to detail

•Ability to use judgement and make decisions within policy and precedent

•Supportive and collaborative team working style

•Ability to follow procedures and protocols consistently

•Actively explores ideas for improvement

•Takes pride in delivering work to a high standard

•Uses initiative

Scope for Impact

The NMSI Corporate Information & Enquiries Team delivers best practice records and enquiries management procedures which support effective administration across NMSI. Such policies and procedures, incorporating a robustly operated Retention Schedule and Publication Scheme, ensure efficient use of resources – both staff and space – and facilitate appropriate access to information in the spirit of transparent operations.  The jobholder delivers core functions which underpin our status as a national museum and ensure accountability and legislative compliance and operates within an extensive framework of statutory obligations and responsibilities. Failures in this area could result in administrative and regulatory lapses and potential legal and/or financial liability.

Please note:

•This job description is not exhaustive and amendments and additions may be required in line with future changes in policy, regulation or organisational requirements, it will be reviewed on a regular basis.

•This role is subject to a Disclosure Scotland basic criminal record check.

National Museum of Science and Industry

Job Details

Job Title: Corporate Information and Enquiries Officer, NMSI

Department:      Corporate & Collections Information, NMSI

Location: NRM and NMeM

Reports to: Corporate Information and Enquiries Manager, NMSI            

Date:     7 December 2011

Please apply via our recruitment website https://vacancies.nmsi.ac.uk

Closing date is 22nd January

Interviews will be held on 10th February

Maternity Leaver cover for 6 months

Based at National Railway Museum in York and the National Media Museum in Bradford

Location:              National Railway Museum York and National Media Museum Bradford

Category:            Administration

Salary:   £16,500

Type of Contract:             Contract

Hours:   Full Time

added: Jan. 12, 2012       deadline: Jan. 22, 2012

More information

Downloads: http://www.nationalmuseums.org.uk/jobs/job/2425/