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12201207093?profile=originalThe Guardian newspaper has reported that the largest photography library in Africa has opened in Ghana’s capital, Accra, showcasing the work of the continent and diaspora’s forgotten, established and emerging talent.

Founded by Ghanaian photographer and film-maker Paul Ninson, the Dikan Center houses more than 30,000 books he has collected. The first of its kind in Ghana, a photo studio and classrooms provide space for workshops while a fellowship programme is aimed at African documentarians and visual artists. An exhibition space will host regular shows, the first of which is Ahennie, a series by the late Ghanaian documentary photographer Emmanuel Bobbie (also known as Bob Pixel), who died in 2021.

Read the full piece here: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/dec/20/africas-biggest-photography-library-opens-in-ghana-accra-dikan-center

The Dikan Center website is here https://www.dikancenter.org/ and notes: 

Dikan is a Ghana-based non-profit organization committed to visual education through the advancement of visual storytelling. We also work to increase public access to the art of photography. Dikan will be the first photo library established in Ghana, and currently has in stock of more than 30,000 photography and film books with special collection of photo books of Africa.

Our objective is to inspire, train and support photographers and filmmakers in Ghana and Africa as a whole. Dikan aims to make visual education accessible to everyone, promoting public awareness of photography through educational outreach, immersive workshops, online education, studios and events.

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12201203885?profile=originalDoes anyone recognise the location or the photographer of these three photographs? The church in the second photograph can be seen in the background of the third photograph. The first and second photographs have a label on the reverse of the frame stating "R. Wilkinson, Permanent Photograph, Trowbridge, Wlits." The building on the left in the third photo has a sign pointing to "Oxford" and another advertising excursions to Portsmouth, Southampton and Isle of Wight.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Tony

Christchurch, New Zealand

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12201202457?profile=originalThe Library of Congress is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 National Stereoscopic Association Research Fellowship. Please share the announcement with any colleagues you think might be interested.

National Stereoscopic Association Research Fellowship
The National Stereoscopic Association Research Fellowship is made possible by a gift from the National Stereoscopic Association (NSA) to support research within the Prints & Photographs Division holdings of stereoscopic photography and the unparalleled photographic history collections at the Library of Congress—including over 15 million photographs, rare publications, manuscript materials, historic newspapers, and extensive subscription database access.

Fellowships will be awarded annually to be used to cover travel to and from Washington, D.C., accommodations, and other research expenses to assist fellows in their ongoing scholarly research and writing projects on stereoscopic photography, or more broadly within the field of photographic history to the extent that research is connected in some manner to the Library's holdings on the format.

Eligibility and Guidelines
Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, independent scholars, creators, and other researchers with a need for Fellowship support are encouraged to apply. Individuals who are not U.S. residents but who otherwise meet the above qualifications may apply and be considered for a Fellowship, contingent upon visa eligibility.

In the interest of increasing awareness and extending documentation of Library of Congress collections, Fellows are required to make use of the Library's collections, be in residence at the Library during the award period, and share information derived from their research through publication in Stereo World or on the Library's Picture This blog, a public lecture, presentation at the following National Stereoscopic Association Convention, or other event, either during their residency or within six months of completing their research at the Library. Each Fellow must also notify the selection committee if their work results in formal publication and provide a hard-copy or online access to the work.

To Apply

Information about applying for the fellowship is available at this link: https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/national_stereoscopic.html

Applications are due on February 28th, 2023. The Fellowship must be completed between September 1st, 2023 and August 31st, 2024.

Questions should be addressed to:
Micah Messenheimer (he/they)
Curator of Photography
Prints and Photographs Division
Library of Congress
Email: stereofellow@loc.gov
Phone: (202) 707-0591

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12201213495?profile=originalMembers may be interested in an article that has just been published on nightclub photographers from the 50s and 60s. I would be interested in making contact with others who have an interest in the 'snappers' who worked in pubs and clubs.

The link is here:  After Midnight: Nightclub Photographs from the ‘50s and ‘60s – David Ford – Porridge (porridgemagazine.com)

Image: David Ford

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12201210470?profile=originalThe British Film Institute (BFI) has played a vital role in shaping British cinema, launching the careers of countless filmmakers. It began financing productions in the 1950s, allocating state funding for film until the establishment of the UK Film Council (UKFC) in 2000. These developments coincided with significant social change in Britain, especially for women in the immediate post-war decades and via the emergence of the second-wave feminist movement in the 1960s.

Building on recent work in feminist British film history, and in collaboration with Dr Josephine Botting, Curator of Fiction Film at the BFI, this project will focus for the first time on the women filmmakers who were funded by the BFI’s production schemes, to examine how women’s films were shaped by the BFI's funding and its institutional barriers.

This unique lens will enable the researcher to develop a historiographical framework with which to explore the various obstacles faced by women filmmakers during this period, and how they intersected with other factors such as class, race, and disability (Crenshaw 1991).

The project will focus on the following key research questions:

  1. How did women filmmakers navigate the male-administered funding streams and oversight of the BFI Production Board?
  2. In what ways did these women’s interests, aesthetic concerns, and choice of medium differ from their BFI-funded male counterparts, and how did this change across the funding period?
  3. To what extent did the BFI’s funding choices influence the direction of women’s filmmaking in Britain, and how can this be situated within the historical, socio-cultural, and economic context of the time?

To answer these questions, the doctoral researcher will be encouraged to develop a creative methodology, combining skills of archival research, interviews, and media practice, to produce a thesis that explores ways in which multimedia responses (eg. data visualisation, video essays, podcasts, augmented reality) can inform the interpretation of the work in the BFI’s collection. The core research will be based on an analysis of the BFI National Archive’s holdings of the 82 BFI-funded titles directed by women between 1952-2000, when state funding was transferred to the UKFC. This period includes work by renowned filmmakers Sally Potter, Gurinder Chadha and Ngozi Onwurah, through to lesser-known productions such as The First Step (Felicity Gray, 1961) and Short Vision (Joan Foldes, 1956). The project will be augmented by research into a selection of BFI-funded productions since 2011 (when it resumed responsibility for film financing), providing opportunities for comparisons between women’s experiences in the 20th century and in recent years.                                                                                                                                                                                     

 By researching this material, the project aims to:

  • Develop a historiographical framework for evaluating the relationship between women filmmakers' state-funded artistic production
  • Explore multimedia responses to the material, to offer original ways of analysing how gendered working environments and practices have produced, framed, and influenced filmmaking in Britain
  • Identify key titles for digitisation (or re-digitisation into modern formats) alongside other contextual materials, for production as a public-facing national cinema touring programme, Blu-ray boxset or BFIPlayer collection.

This CDA is funded by the TECHNE DTP partnership - led by Royal Holloway

For details on how to submit an application, please visit our webpage .

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12201210070?profile=originalRecent challenges such as the climate crisis have pushed the field to consider how photography shapes and is shaped by the environment. From the mining of natural resources to the effects of mass digital storage, the environmental impact of photography is at the forefront of discussions in photography research, education and practice. For this conference, we would like speakers to reconsider the history of photography using the environment, broadly understood, as a departing point. What kind of histories can be written about photography in its environment? Would it be useful to understand photography as an environment? We look for papers that not only examine photography from the point of view of current environmental concerns, but also, how photographic practices, images and archives have developed in relation to natural, industrial and other environments. By centering the environment as an analytical category, we hope to discuss the ways in which natural, colonial, personal, digital and other types of environments have shaped photography as well as how photographic histories can help to understand environmental histories.

We welcome 15-minutes papers on topics that address themes like (but not limited to):

  • How exactly has photography participated in the construction and disruption of environments?
  • What has been the environmental impact of the production, consumption, circulation and storage of photography, in the past as well as the present?
  • Histories of environmentally friendly photography before the 21st century.
  • How have distinct environmental conditions around the globe influenced photographic practices, the development of photographic processes, and the course of the history of photography more specifically?
  • What contributions can the field of photographic history make to deepen understanding about the climate crisis?
  • How can photographic historians draw on their knowledge and expertise to assist in nurturing care for the environment and its sustainability for future generations?

Please send paper proposals to phrc@dmu.ac.uk by 1 February 2023, embedding in the document your name, contact details, up to 5 keywords and institutional affiliation (when applicable).

Photography in its Environment
Photographic History Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
12-13 June 2023

Hybrid (in person and online)
Follow on Twitter @PHRC_DeMontfort
Conference hashtag #PHRC23

Image:  Mark Kasumovic, Skipsea #2, inkjet print, 50 x 60 in, 2020

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12201212679?profile=originalThe National Portrait Gallery in London has announced that it will reopen its doors on 22 June 2023, following the most significant redevelopment in its history. Supported by longstanding supporter and Reopening Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills, visitors to the new National Portrait Gallery will experience a complete redisplay of the Collection, a transformational refurbishment of the building, as well as an enhanced welcome and greater access through the new Ross Place entrance. The re-opening exhibitions will include photography. 

The redevelopment project – titled Inspiring People – has included a comprehensive redisplay of the Gallery’s Collection from the Tudors to today, which will be displayed in beautifully refurbished galleries, and the restoration of the Grade I listed building and many historic features. The designs, by Jamie Fobert Architects working in partnership with Purcell, and thanks to the historic gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, will incorporate the Blavatnik Wing, the entire first floor encompassing nine galleries, which will explore society and culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The designs will also see the return of the Gallery’s East Wing to public use as the Weston Wing, restoring original gallery spaces and creating new retail and catering facilities. The Gallery’s Ross Place entrance will create three new doors, converted from large windows, opening up the North Façade of the building in St Martin’s Place. A new Learning Centre will also welcome visitors of all ages with studios, breakout spaces, and high-quality facilities.

See:  www.npg.org.uk

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Identify the photographer or sitter??

12201210479?profile=originalIn November 2022 I bought this portrait photo in an East Lothian shop selling second-hand goods and have been trying, without success, to identify (1) the photographer who signed the print and (2) the 'sitter' who is the subject of the photo.

Because I bought the photo in Scotland I have searched the two volumes of SCOTTISH STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHERS TO 1914 (D. Richard Torrance [2011]) using a variety of possible names. However the names do not appear to have ethnically Scottish origins.
12201211664?profile=originalThe signature is unconventional and therefore not easy to read and my best guess FOSO O, NIASSCHE could well be wrong.  Alternative names might be: TOLO O; M'ASSCHE

Size of print:- 176 x 239 mm

So I'm wondering if there is anyone here at BPH who might recognise the photographer's name or might recognise the sitter.


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W. & D. Downey carte-de-visite 'mystery'

12201209655?profile=originalCan anyone help solve a carte-de-visite 'mystery' involving the celebrated firm of W. & D. Downey? I recently purchased a Downey cdv of St. Nicholas Church, Newcastle (now Newcastle Cathedral) c. mid-1860s.

What is intriguing is that the address cited on the verso - 4 Eldon Square - is not the same as that used on every other Downey card of the period that I've seen - 9 Eldon Square, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

A blogpost I've written ('If photographs could speak' - 7th December 2022) suggesting various explanations has more details - www.pressphotoman.com

It also includes a link to a twitter thread in response to the post.  

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12201208292?profile=originalAre you an enthusiastic and inspiring leader? Join our team and help deliver our mission, vision, values, and artistic programme. This role is an exciting opportunity to lead Photoworks in our next chapter, playing a key part in delivering the organisation’s ambitious plans for the future.

The Director will lead Photoworks in shaping the overall strategy, planning, policy and development of the organisation. Leading the strategic vision and artistic direction of the organisation including exhibitions, biennial festival, commissions, learning and engagement, publishing and digital content. 

About Photoworks

Photoworks champions photography for everyone. We are an international platform, global in reach, and have provided opportunities for artists and audiences since 1995. We do not have a physical venue, but our online channels are always open. Our programme brings new experiences to audiences and opens up new ways to encounter photography. Photoworks is a registered charity and the only organisation with a national remit for photography in England. Our work is supported by public funding through Arts Council England’s National Portfolio. 

Deadline for applications is 9am Monday, 9 January 2023.

Details: https://photoworks.org.uk/opportunities/were-hiring-director/

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If I wanted lessons in colour photography in 1933-1935 and was willing to pay, where would I go? Full disclosure: "I" am László Moholy-Nagy, my ex-wife Lucia Moholy has set up the lessons in the UK for me (probably in London) and I go on to use Dufaycolor, Vivex and the Finlay colour processes among others. Could I have got lessons through the RPS colour group? Who was not just using these processes, but teaching them at the time? Lucia would go on to teach at the London School of Printing and Kindred Trades (later London School of Printing and Graphic Arts) and the Central School of Art and Design, in case either of these are possibilities? All help appreciated and credited!

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Sepia postcard provenance

I recently came across an interesting postcard in the belongings of a deceased 92 year old relative. It is of an array of corpses laid out for a photograph with an inscription in Spanish. It is printed in sepia monochrome.
Wondering if it is Mexican revolution c1910. Anyone any idea how this would be in the possession of a Northern England working class family?

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12201168064?profile=originalPhotography has shaped the ways we imagine the recent past and how we experience life in the present day. The Photographic History MA will provide you with the skills needed to explore photographic materials, practices, processes, and critical field scholarship. Along the way, it will also equip you with real-world professional expertise through remote fieldwork experience at well-known photography organisations.

The internationally renowned teaching staff are based at the Photographic History Research Centre (PHRC), bringing with them outstanding links with major photographic collections, archives, galleries, and museums worldwide. Networking through vibrant research seminars, workshops, and conferences, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between photography, history, and culture, while enhancing your research skills and employability in the field.

Aimed at anyone with deep interest in photographic practice, communication media, visual history, or archival collections, the Photographic History MA will prepare you for further study and careers in the culture sector. We equally welcome per-module applications, an option especially suitable for field professionals and employers looking for Continuing Professional Development—CPD opportunities.

As this course is delivered online by distance learning, you will need access to the internet and a computer with software capable of reading and writing Rich Text Format documents, such as Microsoft Word.

Key features

  • Flexible mode of delivery allows you to study around your job, family, and other commitments.
  • Full-time, part-time, and per-module study options enable you to develop your studies at your own pace with ongoing support from our expert academic staff.
  • Completing an independent project for an external photography organisation equips you with real-world professional skills and expertise.
  • Focus on social and cultural photographic practices expands your knowledge of the cultural and social significance of photography throughout its history.
  • Consideration of digital and analogue photography provides you with deep understanding about the changing socio-political role of photography and its cultural conception.
  • Work alongside a renowned team of expert scholars from the Photographic History Research Centre (PHRC) and beyond.

Details: https://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate-courses/photographic-history-ma-degree/photographic-history-ma-degree.aspx

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12201207283?profile=originalThe recently published proposal for the British Institute of Professional Photography (formed in 1901 as the Professional Photographers' Association) to join the Royal Photographic Society (formed in 1853 as the Photographic Society of London) has the potential to fully bring both the amateur and professional sides of photography together.

Although the RPS has always had a professional membership, despite occasional abortive attempts to restrict it to amateurs, its membership remained mainly amateur. The PPA deliberately restricted its membership to working photographers. 

The attached chart (PhotoSocs%201840-2023.pdf) for download provides some historical context, showing principal British photography organisations from 1840-2023. 

Details of the proposal are here: https://rps.org/BIPP

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£100,000 grant secured for NS+MM

12201207875?profile=originalThe National Science and Media Museum in Bradford has secured £100,000 for its forthcoming Sound & Vision galleries. The award has come from the DCMS/Wolfson fund which aims to help museums and galleries make their collections as accessible to the public as possible, whether that be through building accessible ramps and facilities, improving collection storage to protect them for the future or getting more of their collections out on display.

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12201206301?profile=originalRenée Mussai writes to let BPH know that after more than two rewarding decades at Autograph, she is resigning as the organisation’s Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial & Collection. 

Rather than simply moving on, she intends to be moving with … and will continue to support Autograph’s mission as a critical friend and associate, staying involved with select projects such as editing the forthcoming ‘Black Chronicles’ book (release date tbc). 

She says..."As one chapter ends, another begins … I will step down as Senior Curator here at Autograph in December, and in early 2023 begin my new role as Artistic Director and Chief Curator at The Walther Collection, a charitable arts foundation based in New York, USA and Neu-Ulm, Germany, with a renowned international exhibition and publishing programme. 

Image: Renée Mussai, London, 2020 © Maliq Mitchell 2020.

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12201202094?profile=originalThis collaborative practice-based project between the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries and the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens will use the Museum’s rich collections of industrial photographs and related material in local/regional/national collections to map, reframe, and create innovative visual interpretations that capture the changing socio-economic characteristics and conditions of women’s work in Sunderland. In doing so, it seeks to produce novel inclusive narratives for the Museum by juxtaposing historical and new photographic imagery depicting women’s work and enhance public engagement by empowering local women, those identifying as women and non-binary to share their stories and photographs.

Research questions

How can historical photographs and narratives of Sunderland’s industry illuminate the changing meaning and nature of women’s work?

What roles can lens-based media play in representing women at work and their labour beyond established documentary practices and against a changing landscape of work in the regional industries?

How can different types of photographic imagery depicting women’s work and oral histories be synthesised and preserved in inclusive museum narratives?

 

Expressions of interest are invited for a practice-based PhD offered by University of Sunderland in partnership with Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens through the Northern Bridge Consortium: Collaborative Doctoral Awards Competition.
Deadline for EOI: 28 January 2023
Towards an Inclusive Re/visualisation of Women’s Work‌
More information: http://www.northernbridge.ac.uk/media/sites/teaching/northernbridge/MoschoviAlexandra_Sunderland_WinterGardens.pdf

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