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It's that time of year again and the date for Photographic 2017 is closing fast, as usual it will take place at the regular venue The  Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley Hall, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PB on the 21 May 2017. Public entry is from 10am-4.00pm and admission is £5. This year there will be more than 100 stalls selling user and collectable cameras, consumables, lenses, literature and images. It is not a trade show for new equipment. 

Photographica Flyer 2017

It is organised by the Photographic Collectors Club of Great Britain. http://www.pccgb.net/

If you want early Buyers tickets or to check if there is still a sales table available please ring Angela on 01684 594526 Photographica 2017 Booking form

Details and late breaking news are also available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/photographicafair

It is a great day, you may find that rare item you have been looking for. Why not make a weekend of it, see the sights and visit  Photographica on the Sunday!  

See You There

Thanks

The V&A is the world's leading museum of art, design and performance. We enrich people's lives by promoting the practice of design and increasing knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the designed world. The Conservation Department has a worldwide reputation for the excellence of its practical work, for innovative ideas, for pioneering the scientific and ethical approach to conservation, and for sharing this expertise. The Department contributes to the care and preservation of the V&A’s collections, prepares them for display and investigates their materials and technology.

Purpose of job

The V&A has been collecting photographs since 1856 and it was one of the first museums to present

photography exhibitions. Since then the collection has grown to be one of the largest and most important in

the world, comprising around 500,000 images. The V&A is now honoured to be adding the Royal Photographic

Society (RPS) collection to its holdings, which contains around 270,000 photographs, an extensive library, and

6,000 cameras and pieces of equipment associated with leading artists and photographic pioneers.

To maximise the impact of the expanded collection, the V&A is developing a new Photography Centre

which will allow the Museum to display a far greater number and range of photographs, negatives, camera

technology, books and archival items alongside its headline photography exhibitions and displays. The

Photography Centre will also facilitate exciting activities, learning events and broader opportunities for visitors

and resident practitioners to engage with photography.

The Conservator of Photographs and Paper will be based in the Paper, Book and Paintings Section of the

Conservation Department. The main focus of the work will be the assessment, examination and conservation

of a wide range of photographic objects but the post-holder will also be expected to contribute to the

preparation of other paper-based objects including, for example, prints, drawings, watercolours, Indian

miniatures, wallpapers and posters.

The post-holder will work initially on photographs for display in the Photography Centre - due to open in 2018.

Thereafter work will focus mainly on projects relating to the Museum’s Public Programme of displays,

exhibitions, and loans as well as the core collection.

Main tasks

1. Carry out practical conservation including mounting of photographs, works of art on paper and other

photographic material.

2. Assessment of objects to determine their condition and to produce treatment estimates.

3. Give advice to curatorial colleagues, other institutions and the public on conservation-related matters.

4. Document the conservation assessment, treatment and technical examination of objects and produce

condition reports for travel for objects using Departmental systems.

5. Supervise students and interns where appropriate.

6. Carry out ad hoc duties and assist in day-to-day organisation and housekeeping in the studio.

7. Contribute to - and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of - developments in the field of photographs

conservation.

8. Be committed to health and safety and ensure familiarity with all of the Museum's health and safety

policies and procedures.

9. Be security conscious, ensure familiarity and co-operation with all museum security procedures and

ensure you wear a security pass at all times when on museum premises.

10. Promote equality and diversity in all aspects of your work by developing and maintaining positive

working relationships, ensuring that colleagues are treated fairly and with respect/dignity and actively

contributing to developments that support the museum’s strategy for widening access, inclusion and

diversity.

11. Carry out ad hoc duties as requested by appropriate managers within your department.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential requirements

1. A recognised qualification in the Conservation of Photographs and/or Paper and relevant post graduate

experience of at least 2 years.

2. A good knowledge and understanding of the materials and techniques of photographs and works of art

on paper.

3. The ability to manage work by organising tasks in an efficient and effective way - with minimal

supervision - to produce work to appropriate standards whilst working to tight deadlines.

4. Good interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to give clear advice on conservation

issues and to work as part of a team.

5. Good end-user IT skills including image processing and collection management database software.

Desirable requirements

1. Knowledge of the V&A’s collections.

2. Knowledge of the Museum’s strategic objectives.

OTHER INFORMATION

Hours/Salary:

Net working hours (i.e. excluding meal breaks) are 36 per week.

The salary for this role will be £26,542 - £31,901 per annum. Salaries are reviewed on an annual basis.

Annual leave:

28 days plus 8 days public holidays

Pension benefits:

You will be auto enrolled into the Museum’s Group Personal Pension Scheme and have the opportunity on

completion of Probation to an enhanced pension provision, including an employer contribution of 10%.

Other benefits:

Non-contributory life assurance policy (to value of 4 x annual salary)

An interest free season ticket or bicycle loan is available after three months.

Free entrance to all the major museums and exhibitions in London as well as many others.

Subsidised staff restaurant

Discounts on purchases in V&A shops

Childcare Voucher Scheme

Application process:

Please apply online via the V&A’s website at www.vam.ac.uk/jobs

If you have any queries regarding the recruitment process, you can email us – hr@vam.ac.uk or telephone us on

020 7942 2937.

You will be expected to bring a portfolio with 2 – 3 examples of your work to the interview.

Closing date for receipt of applications is Midnight Sunday 23rd April 2017

Interviews to be held on Thursday 4th May 2017.

Interview expenses will not be paid unless there is a prior agreement.

The following announcement by the PMG-AIC may be of interest to some; at the end is a link which contains a full Table of Contents and list of contributors, as well as ordering information:-

The Photographic Materials Group of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works is proud to announce advance sales of

Platinum and Palladium Photographs: Technical History, Connoisseurship, and Preservation.

This volume presents the results of a four-year inter-institutional, interdisciplinary research initiative, led by the National Gallery of Art and contains contributions by 47 leading photograph conservators, scientists, and historians.

This book will help collectors and curators of photographs gain a thorough appreciation of the art historical and aesthetic characteristics of platinum and palladium prints. Topics, among many, that specifically address the connoisseurship and care of platinum and palladium prints include:

• How platinum/palladium prints are made,
• Characteristics used to identify these and related photomechanical reproductions,
• The history and use of artist-prepared and manufactured papers and their distinguishing characteristics during different time periods,
• Discussions of storage, display, and non-adhesive mounting methods,
• In-depth discussions of nine photographic artists including F. Holland Day, Thomas Eakins, P.H. Emerson, Paul Outerbridge, Irving Penn, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, and key contemporary platinum/palladium photographers,
• A beautiful plate section illustrating masterworks in platinum and palladium,
• Several articles feature collaboration by curators, conservators, and scientists to elucidate the working methods of photographers.

“Not only does this volume advance our understanding of the history and character of platinum and palladium prints; it also validates and promotes a method of investigation that brings together professionals from various disciplines, each examining the subject with a unique perspective and area of expertise, informing one another for a richer and more complex understanding of the art and science of photography.”

—Foreword, Malcolm Daniel, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Place your discounted pre-publication order no later than

JUNE 5, 2017

before the price goes up upon publication in summer 2017.

Learn more at: www.conservation-us.org/platinum-palladium-book

The Royal Photographic Society’s Historical Group held a series of talks at the V&A Museum on 25 March. One of these provided the first opportunity for the Society and the public to hear about the museum’s plans for the RPS Collection which has now been relocated to the V&A. Martin Barnes, senior curator of photographs, and Susannah Brown, curator of photographs, spoke about the plans for a V&A Photography Resource Centre and the RPS Collection.

Barnes spoke first about the Resource Centre. He introduced his presentation by explaining that the move of the RPS Collection to the museum had acted as a catalyst for the Centre and reimagining how the museum presented photography. The combination of the V&A photography collection, which is the designated national collection of art photography, combined with the RPS Collection makes the combined V&A holdings ‘one of the largest and most precious collections of photography in the world’.

The museum’s plans for new photography galleries and the Resource Centre fall in to two phases. Phase One deal with Rooms 99-101 and 108 which show photography and will be reworked by Autumn 2018; Phase Two, deals with Rooms 95-98 and the new Resource Centre and will be completed by 2022, subject to securing appropriate funding. The spaces will form a contiguous and integrated space.

The museum already has a dedicated photographer/digitiser working on the RPS Collection, plus a cataloguer and, shortly, a conservator.  Public programming, with the museum’s learning department collaborating to develop photography events, will become more important and the photography department’s teaching will be extended from school children through to post-graduate students.  A MA course in history of photography is in development with the Royal College of Art with which the museum already has an existing relationship. A programme leader will be appointed and the course will launch in Autumn 2018.

Separate to these initiatives the museum has appointed Professor Elizabeth Edwards as the V&A’s Research Institute’s Andrew W Mellon Visiting Professor and she will be working with the curatorial team. 

The photographs department will also be expanding its publishing programme and is exploring new print and digital offers with Thames & Hudson.  One key development for the photography collections will be the further expansion of UK and international touring exhibitions and there are discussions with the Arts Council currently in progress.  With the expansion of the photography department the museum is enhancing its visibility and is part of the new Photographic Collections Network, along with the RPS and others. The PCN will be mapping, documenting and supporting photographic collections across the UK.

Barnes also spoke about the storage of the photography collections and access. An upgraded photography store has been created in the Henry Cole Wing, next to the Prints and Drawings study room, at a cost of some £250,000. The RPS Collection is already available for study. In addition to access to original material the museum is committed to the early digital capture and sharing of the RPS Collection and this will be made available as quickly as possible.

Referring back to Phase One, the additional gallery space will double the current space for photography within the museum. The new gallery spaces will be refurbished and returned to their original appearance with improved lighting, climate and environmental controls.  They will accommodate a ‘dark tent’ space for screenings and a ‘light lab’ giving public visibility in to the scanning and digitisation process. The stairs and landing area will act as a wayfinder for the photography galleries with a display of cameras and technology.

The museum has been working with David Kohn Architects to look at how the [photography] Resource Centre (Phase Two) could work and integrate with the newly enhanced photography galleries (Phase One). Because of their nature photography will need to be rotated regularly and the collection ranges from prints, cameras and the library. A browsing library for visitors is envisaged with rare material being kept more securely. A working photography studio will allow a residency programme. The intention is for all spaces to be flexible.  Barnes stated that the Centre would be ‘a significant commitment on behalf of the V&A’. 

The integration of the V&A and RPS Collections, while preserving the latter as a discrete entity, will allow connections to be made, for example, between Talbot images, cameras and letters and he gave other examples for Herbert Ponting and Julia Margaret Cameron.  A chronological approach is likely, integrating technology, other objects and photography – the focus will be on original objects. These plans will be refined and developed over the next four to five months.  

Susannah Brown then spoke in more detail about the move of the RPS Collection from the National Media Museum, now renamed National Science and Media Museum.  The physical move of some 270,000 photographs, 6000-8000 cameras and a library of some 10,000 books had been planned meticulously. The material was documented and labelled on site in Bradford over a week to facilitate its smooth accession in London and in to the new store. The current V&A collection consists of 3485 boxes of prints and 961 rare books. The RPS Collection adds 3500 boxes of prints, plus albums, lantern slides and all the other parts of the Collection.  Material came in to the V&A over four weekends in February and she reassured those present that nothing was broken in transit. During March a further eight deliveries moved the cameras and technology and library to the V&A’s offsite store at Blythe House, in Olympia.

The department has started on high level documentation of the RPS Collection which will be followed up by detailed, item level, cataloguing. This will be publicly available via the museum’s website under ‘search the collections’. The RPS Collection photographs are already available for use in the study room, which is open from Tuesday to Friday, by appointment. Researchers are already using the material.

Links:

The V&A Word & Image department: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/w/word-and-image-department/

The V&A Photographs collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/photographs

Search the Collections: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/

Images and report by Dr Michael Pritchard

A new display celebrating the life and artistic legacy of Olive Edis officially opens at Cromer Museum on Wednesday 29 March, following the success of of a major exhibition at Norwich Castle. The same day a new touring exhibition, The Road to Ypres, exploring Edis’ war photography opens at the North Norfolk District Council offices, the first stop in an extensive tour to venues around Norfolk and beyond.

The new galleries and the touring exhibition are the culmination of the Heritage Lottery Fund supported Olive Edis project to raise awareness of this remarkable woman. They follow on from the ground-breaking showing of her work in the exhibition Fishermen & Kings: The Photography of Olive Edis which ran at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery from 8 October 2016 to 22 January 2017, attracting over 50,000 visitors.

Olive Edis was one of the most important photographers of the early 20th century. At the height of her career she photographed the full spectrum of British society, from local fishermen and their families to prime ministers, royalty, scientists and artists. She was an exceptional portrait artist, a pioneer of new technologies, a successful business owner, and the first British woman to be appointed as an official war photographer.

Now, for the first time, the opening of Fishermen & Kings: The new Olive Edis Galleries, provides a permanent tribute to this fine artist, and a rich resource for the public who want to explore her work in more depth.

The new galleries include:

• An overview of Olive’s life, work, studios (including those at Cromer and Sheringham) and photographic techniques
• Original prints on display, including examples of both local and famous sitters, alongside framed reproductions, graphic panels, digital slideshows and large-scale reproductions on canvas – representing her full range of subjects
• Reproductions of prints from the Imperial War Museum and National Portrait Gallery collections of Edis’ work
• Photographs from her commission as Britain’s first female war photographer
• A display of Edis’ cameras in a custom-built case, including her large plate camera ‘The Countess’ mounted on its tripod
• Reproductions of autochromes displayed on wall-mounted lightboxes and in an original Edis diascope, to show them, respectively, at their best and as they would have originally been viewed

And in a lovely marriage of historic and contemporary image-making, a touchscreen interactive will allow visitors to browse the full Edis collection of over 2000 images online, and add comments and tags to individual photographs. Curators are hoping the public may even be able to help them identify sitters and give more information, especially on photos of local people.

Visitors will also be able to listen to an actress reading extracts from Edis’ fascinating war diary along with a slideshow of her war photos. Three short films about Edis exploring her techniques and achievements, specially created by Paston Sixth Form College students, will also be available to watch in the galleries and can be viewed online here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37tmzONrrcs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB3j9gIvAW8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdJcjSpDheU&t=9s

Cromer Museum is a fitting location for the world’s first centre dedicated to Edis’ work, given her long association with this part of Norfolk. Edis died in 1955, leaving the contents of her studio to her assistant Cyril Nunn who cared for the collection until it was acquired by Cromer Museum in 2008.

In the 60 years since her death Edis has been largely forgotten by history, and her huge contribution to British photography sadly overlooked. Thanks to the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Olive Edis Project at Cromer Museum can now redress this, working to raise awareness of Edis’ work and give her inspirational story the recognition it deserves.

Curator Alistair Murphy, said: “Olive Edis was a remarkable woman. She was well-educated, forward thinking, a visionary, an astute business entrepreneur and most importantly a talented photographer with a natural affinity for her subjects – however grand or humble each was afforded respect and dignity. Like the many influential and inspirational women that she photographed, Edis was herself a “new woman”.

“Edis’ photographic legacy is a ‘national treasure’ and we are delighted to be able to open these new galleries dedicated to her life and work, to continue to spread the word about her unique legacy and importance to as wide an audience as possible.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund East of England, said: “Olive Edis’ work spans social, gender and geographical boundaries to provide an incredible glimpse into the personal world of her subjects, particularly those who were affected by the First World War. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are thrilled to support this project which will finally provide her inspirational story with the recognition it deserves.”

See more about Cromer Museum here: http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/Visit_Us/Cromer_Museum/index.htm

Images: © Norfolk Museums Service (Cromer Museum)

Smile! The Nation's Family Album is a BBC TV documentary which was shown earlier this week looking at the family photograph album. Gil Pasternak was academic consultant and the programme aso features Colin Harding. It is available to watch on iPlayer or more freely on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvlHSP3wu5s&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop

The new National Science and Media Museum website and new branding will be revealed on the 23 March. The website holding page can be seen here: www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk. BPH can also reveal that the museum's new website domain name was first registered on 18 November 2016. 

UPDATED. The website is now live. A case study on the site by its designer Numiko is available here.

This is a real puzzle. a 10 x 10 inch silver print of an early illustration of Mars. At the bottom,  "H. Spencer Jones". He was the British Royal Astronomer from 1933-1955 at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.  

I have no Idea why his name would be printed below a clearly earlier illustration of Mars. My Idea is that because this is a square image, it may be a copy of a lantern slide, used in one of his lectures????

Any Guesses out there?  

Thanks, David

I am a curator currently researching half-plate size (approx. 4.75 x 6.5 inches) cameras and accessories available in Sydney, Australia, from the early 1920s that might have been used to create a series of portraits on dry plate negative held in our collection.

While half-plate was a common size, I am wondering how the photographer might have exposed two different images on a single negative. Please see example photographs at links below.

An advertisement from a local photographic journal published in 1923 for the Eastman View camera series - Eastman View Camera No. 1 and Eastman View Camera No 2 – includes the statement “The back is reversible and furnished with a vertical cut-off board, so that two negatives may be made on one plate if desired”.

- Would anyone know if this type of plate holder is unique to Eastman brand cameras, or even these specific models?

- If not, what were the brands/ model/ details for plate holders that allowed two exposures on one negative?

- Were these plate holders like this generally available for sale and during what period?

Any feedback on this research would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance!

http://collection.hht.net.au/firsthhtpictures/fullRecordPicture.jsp?recnoListAttr=recnoList&recno=32212

http://collection.hht.net.au/firsthhtpictures/fullRecordPicture.jsp?recnoListAttr=recnoList&recno=32204

http://collection.hht.net.au/firsthhtpictures/fullRecordPicture.jsp?recnoListAttr=recnoList&recno=32213

http://collection.hht.net.au/firsthhtpictures/fullRecordPicture.jsp?recnoListAttr=recnoList&recno=46365

I am currently writing an article on the history of the exhibition of paper negatives, to present in a conference late this year. One of my goals is to evaluate which light sources conservators are using, especially when the negatives are backlit.
Although it can be relatively easy to find information on exhibitions featuring paper negatives (in exhibition catalogs and/or in some online collection websites), there is less information available out there about how that was done. The published case studies are surely only a fraction of what is done in practice to exhibit these objects. That is why I ask for your contribution.
Please take a few minutes to answer ten questions about this theme, whether you have worked or seen an exhibition featuring paper negatives. The survey is available until April 30, 2017, on:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/75XPW7S

Feel free to share the link colleagues you think might be able to help as well.
If you have any comments or questions, please send an email to leniajof@gmail.com.
Thank you in advance for participating.

Lénia Fernandes

I am trying to find out more about the camera Spanish photographer Rafael Castro y Ordóñez, member of the Comisión Científica del Pacífico, used during his expedition to America (1862-1865). He used a Dallmeyer lens of his own but the camera was purchased in London by British photographer Charles Clifford in early 1862. References suggest that it was a state of the art field stand camera. The plates produced are 26 x 31 (10 x 12") and 16 x 21 (6 x 8 "). The lens was probably a Dallmeyer-Petzval type combined lens, good for portraits and landscape photography. 

I regret to say I am no expert in nineteenth century camera. Could anybody help me find out about the kind of camera he may have used? I need more information for my PhD dissertation. 

Thanks very much in advance

Sit. Pose. Snap. Brisbane Portrait Photography 1850–1950 explores the phenomenon of portrait photography in Brisbane, and shows how the process of capturing and sharing a portrait evolved from the formal studio sittings of the 19th century through to more candid and relaxed photographs of the 20th century.

Featuring hundreds of Brisbane residents captured in over 330 photographs from local studios and amateur photographers between 1850 -1950, this exhibition draws from the extensive private collection of Marcel Safier – one of Australia’s most significant collectors of portrait photography. Discover the variety, trends and historical progression of photographic types through this period, from the early forms of daguerreotypes through to cartes de visite, cabinet photos, tintypes, postcards and snap shots.

A number of floor talks will take place across the duration of the exhibition.

Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
24 March-30 July 2017
10:00 to 17:00
Free entry
https://www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/whats-on/sit-pose-snap-brisbane-portrait-photography-1850-1950/

There are several exhibitions of the work of British photographer Roger Mayne taking place. His vintage London and Paris photographs to be shown at Quaritch in May and will comprise small-format vintage prints, from iconic images of children playing to views of Paris photographed the year before his renowned Southam Street series. The exhibition will run Wednesday 10 to Friday 19 May at 40 South Audley Street. 

In the meantime, you can see Roger Mayne’s work at two current exhibitions. The Photographers’ Gallery in London is the first major exhibition since 1999 to show Mayne’s iconic work. Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton, Devon, is exhibiting Mayne’s large-scale photographs of Southam Street. These prints were hung in the barn at the photographer’s home in Lyme Regis and now remain in a fragile state revealing layers of age and decay.

Roger Mayne, Quaritch, London, 10-19 May. More here.

Roger Mayne, The Photographers’ Gallery, until 11 June. More information here.

Beyond the Lens, Thelma Hulbert Gallery, 11 March-22 April. More information here.

BPH publicised the International Conference Stereo & Immersive Media 2016 last year. The conference organisers have made the presentations available on Youtube and you can delight in, enjoy, and learn from Larry Schaaf and Denis Pellerin (use the links and then check the Youtube sidebar for the others) amongst others.

Barry Lane, who has died aged 72, was the first, and only, photography officer at the Arts Council and was later Secretary-General of the Royal Photographic Society between 1995 and 2001. As a champion for photography at the Arts Council Lane played a pivotal role in supporting a new wave of emerging British photographers. After he left the Arts Council as Head of Photography he was not replaced and British photography had to look to other supporters to ensure it remained funded and exhibited.

Barry Lane was born in Watford on 22 March 1944. He attended Watford Boys Grammar School between 1955 and 1962.  The following year he went up to Oxford University where he gained a BA(Hons) in Philosophy and Psychology, graduating in 1967,  having been President of the university’s art club.  He remained in Oxford as the first director of the Museum of Modern Art where he established the museum an important venue for the contemporary visual arts with early exhibitions of photography, experimental architecture and installations as well as the more traditional mediums of paintings and sculpture.

In 1970 he joined the Arts Council as Regional Art Officer organising fourteen touring exhibitions over three years including early shows of the 1840s photographers D O Hill and Robert Adamson and the pioneering Serpentine Gallery Photographers I and II. In a foretaste of the later role he commissioned eight pairs of photographers to work in eight cities to produce Two Views exhibitions. The photographers included Ian Berry, Chris Killip and Josef Koudelka.

Away from the Arts Council Lane acted between 1972 and 1977 as curator of the Francis Frith Collection which mainly consisted of British topographical photography from the 1850s. He was director of Photographic Collections Ltd between 1973 and 1977 where he supervised the production of limited edition portfolios of the work of H P Robinson from originals in the RPS Collection and, in 1975, Tony Ray-Jones who had died in 1972. The latter has become collectible in its own right. 

It was Lane’s role as the Arts Council’s first, and only, photography officer between 1973 and 1991 where he made his greatest and most long lasting impact on British photography. One of his first acts was to establish a Photography Committee for the Arts Council’s Visual Arts Department in 1973. This was the first time that photography had been formally recognised as an independent medium and it came as British photography was developing rapidly with a new wave of photographers creating innovative work across a range of genres and new independent galleries such as London’s The Photographers’ Gallery (1971) and York’s Impressions Gallery (1972) showing photography. A new grant giving scheme was introduced and these galleries benefitted from newly available funding.

Lane was responsible for organising or commissioning a large number of exhibitions: Diane Arbus was shown in 1973 at the Hayward Gallery which also showed Pictorial Photography in Britain 1900-1920 (1978) and Neue Sachlichkeit: New Realism in German Photography of the 20s (1978) were notable. Historians such as Aaron Schaaf, Margaret Harker, David Mellor, Valerie Lloyd, and Ian Jeffrey were commissioned to produce exhibitions. In addition, a large number of Arts Council touring exhibitions were produced from Masterpiece Treasures from The Royal Photographic Society (1971), Modern British Photography 1919-1939 (1980) and retrospectives of photographers including Andre Kertesz, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Sir Benjamin Stone, Walter Evans, Paul Strand, Bill Brandt, Bert Hardy, George Rodger and many others which opened up photography to a public audience across the United Kingdom. 

Lane also supported photographers directly and purchased over 2000 photographs for the Arts Council’s collection. He established and edited British Image a new series of Arts Council publications of contemporary photography with eight volumes appearing between 1975 and 1980. The biennial National Photography Conference was set up and continues to this day. The first national policy for Photography and Photography and Education (1987) was developed for the Arts Council.  Photographic education was something Lane was strongly committed to and he was an external examiner for a number of UK photography degree and postgraduate degree courses.

In 1991 Lane’s title was changed to Head of Photography recognising his role in developing strategy for the photography sector with a discussion document Photography, the Arts and Culture Industries for the National Arts and Media Strategy (1991), commissioning the Marchant Report on the National Network of Photography/New Media Centres (1994) and Creating Vision – Photography and the National Curriculum (1994). He remained  deeply involved in supporting independent photography through publishing and making funding decisions with reviews of the business plans and programmes of The Photographers’ Gallery, Creative Camera and Ten.8 magazines. The 1998 Year of Photography and Electronic Image which was awarded to Yorkshire and Humberside was conceived and organised by Lane.

Lane joined the Royal Photographic Society as secretary-general in April 1995 where he was responsible for the day-to-day management of the Society. His appointment came at a particularly challenging time with the Society’s National Centre of Photography struggling financially and its collection of historic photographs and equipment being seen by some as an unnecessary burden on the organisation. An interview with Lane soon after his arrival indicated that he saw the continued operation in Bath as unsustainable. 

An Arts Council funded feasibility study was produced which recommended moving from Society’s premises and finding a partner to enable greater access to and use of the Collection. Lane was involved in exploring a number of options. The Society’s officers  decided to enter into negotiations with the then National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, now National Media Museum, The way this was managed was something that Lane strongly disagreed with and he left the Society in January 2002. The Collection, with the aid of a small grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund was ultimately sold to the Museum and the Society moved to smaller premises.

After the RPS he turned his energies to his boyhood love of archaeology and local history. Between 2002 and his death he was actively involved in developing and supporting a wide range of  regional and local activity. He was an early member of CHERT (Charterhouse Historic Environs Research Team) and founded the Westbury Society where he mixed practical exploration with academic research. 

He also played an important part at the county and regional level, becoming Hon Secretary of  (SANHS) Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society from 2006 to 2009 when the Society was creating a new constitution and organising its move from Taunton Castle. He served on the Society’s archaeology committee and administered its historic grant fund from 2002 to 2017 and was a trustee from 2003 to 2009. He chaired the Council of British Archaeology from 2008 to 2011 and was responsible for organising the national CBA conference in Cornwall during that time.

He was a committee member and newsletter editor of the Somerset Vernacular Buildings Research Group, undertaking detailed building and village surveys for them and private property history commissions as well. But his main interest from 2010 to 2016 was the Wells and Mendip Museum where he was Honorary Curator. In this role he took responsibility for reinvigorating the displays, creating new galleries, building a partnership with the City Archives and ensuring the Museum retained its registered status.

As well as these public roles he found time to research and write. As well as the commissioned house and property histories, he wrote both scholarly and engaging articles about such subjects as the mediaeval drainage of the Somerset levels, the meaning of the Somerset term ‘Old Auster’ and changes in the landscape resulting from the move from Celtic to Anglo Saxon Christianity. His final article, unfinished at his death, was on early church dedications to St Lawrence in Somerset. He was published in peer reviewed journals such as SANHS Proceedings and  Archaeology in the Severn Estuary.

In his local community he bought a Victorian cider press at a farm auction which has since become the centre of a community cider making and wassailing tradition. He also bought a field, planted a traditional Somerset cider orchard, and became part owner and trustee of a 7-acre area of woodland, managed for conservation purposes. He kept bees, taught local people how to do serious archaeology, led walks explaining the history of the landscape and collaborated with English Heritage  on their  2016 book on the landscape history of Mendip.

 An extraordinarily generous man he completely lacked vanity, was unimpressed by status and gave freely of his time to whoever came to him with enthusiasm and a desire to do and learn.  He will be much missed by all the people he has supported and whose knowledge he has enriched.

He will be particularly missed by his wife, Sue Isherwood, his daughters from his first marriage to Judith, Thalia and Helena, his step daughter, Imogen, and four grandchildren.

Barry John Lane, born 22 March 1944, died 4 March 2017.

© Image: Angela Williams. Text: Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS and Sue Isherwood

• Details of Barry Lane's funeral can be found here.

and as a reminder...

National Science and Media Museum is the new name of the former National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (June 1983) and National Media Museum (December 2006), according to the Guardian newspaper.

The re-named museum is due to reveals it's new website and branding later this month. 

In addition, the museum is opening a state-of-the-art £1.8m interactive gallery and the arrival of astronaut Tim Peake’s spacecraft are among a series of major launches at the National Media Museum this year.

Featuring UK-firsts and breath-taking live shows, Wonderlab explores the science of light, sound and images through state-of-the-art exhibits – including some that can’t be seen permanently anywhere else in the world. Visitors will be able to see their body split from their head as they walk, hear their voice echo through a 15m-long tube, experience an anti-gravity mirror and a musical laser tunnel, as well as watch one of the world’s first 3D-printed Zoetrope installations.

The Bradford-based museum has also confirmed it will host the world-famous Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft that carried Major Tim Peake to the International Space Station (ISS) and back to earth. Visitors will be able to see the space-faring vessel this September when it travels outside London for the first time since it was acquired by the Science Museum Group in 2016.

Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Museum Director, said: “These announcements are not only incredibly exciting, but a significant statement of intent – that we are aiming to be one of the leading museums in the UK and worldwide. The museum has a bright future and we are confident people are going to be wowed by Wonderlab and the state-of-the-art exhibits within, along with many other events we have planned like the arrival of Tim Peake’s spacecraft. 

“We want to draw in new visitors, encourage existing ones to come more often and open a whole new chapter for the museum. Our collections across the technology and culture of photography, film and TV are unrivalled, and Wonderlab explores the science behind what makes these things magical in a very hands-on way.”

Main image: The Soyuz TMA-19M  spacecraft with museum director Jo Quinton-Tulloch and Bradford MPs Naz Shah and Philip Davies

Barry Lane, who has died aged 72, was the first, and only, photography officer at the Arts Council and was later Secretary-General of the Royal Photographic Society between 1995 and 2001. As a champion for photography at the Arts Council Lane played a pivotal role in supporting and exhibiting a new wave of emerging British photographers through funding and exhibitions. After he left the Arts Council as Head of Photography he was not replaced and photography had to look to other supporters to ensure it remained funded and exhibited.

He joined the Royal Photographic Society in 1995 and left after disagreements over the future of the RPS Collection.

BPH's thoughts are with Sue, his partner, and family. A full obituary is in preparation and will be published shortly. 

UPDATE: A memorial service for Barry Lane will take place on Tuesday, 14 March 2017 at 2pm at Westbury-sub-Mendip parish church.  Everyone is welcome to attend and and afterwards in Westbury Village Hall. 

Westbury is on the A371 4 miles equidistant between Wells and Cheddar. The nearest railway stations are Castle Cary (16 miles) and Bath (20 miles).

Family flowers only and donations to Greenpeace and Dignity in Dying via the undertakers, Unwins, Wells, t: 01749 679927