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12215035277?profile=originalIn his lifetime, Leeds-born Wordsworth Donisthorpe patented a motion-picture camera, helped found the British Chess Association, wrote prolifically on libertarian politics and even invented a language.

The great What If will tell the story of Donisthorpe’s strange, one-of-a-kind camera, which was based, extraordinarily, on the flax spinning machines in the Leeds mills of his father, George Edmund Donisthorpe. It will look at a film sequence shot by Donisthorpe in 1889, just weeks after another inventor, Louis Le Prince, shot his own sequences in Leeds as well as Donisthorpe’s last-ditch efforts to fund his experiments by attempting to blackmail one of Bradford’s most respected industrialists.

A forgotten pioneer, Donisthorpe’s story will be presented by local historian, Irfan Shah, along with revelatory new material, as we pose the question: would the history of cinema have been different if Wordsworth Donisthorpe had been better at blackmail?

The talk will be given in the wonderful cinema of the Leeds School of Arts at Leeds Beckett University and introduced by Professor Robert Shail.

Details and register here: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/events/heritage-open-days/hod-wordsworth-donisthorpe-and-the-great-what-if/

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Art and photography have played a key role in capturing and reflecting on the conditions for the Brexit referendum. Illustrated by a range of work by artists including Cornelia Parker, Wolfgang Tillmans, David Shrigley, Tacita Dean and Jeremy Deller as well as the satirists Cold War Steve and Led By Donkeys, who offer fascinating insights into their work, along with ephemera such as campaign posters and leaflets, and more personal photographs which capture the searing impact of the vote on both UK and EU citizens, this impassioned and compelling book explores the role of the photograph and sometimes moving image in the ongoing consequences of what the author views as a political cataclysm.This book is a work of personal protest. This book is in part a manifesto, a call for a return to working relations and trade with our closest neighbours, and a survey of some of the artistic statements of protest and resistance around the Leave and Remain campaigns. As Brexit stalls, these interviews and these works of art and protest constitute an archive of resistance. 

From Jeremy Deller’s film of musicians protesting outside the House of Commons to portraits of those whose lives have been changed immeasurably, this art of protest brings together disparate aspects of the bitterly fought battle to remain and the consequences of the decision to leave the EU on 1 January 2021 and serves as a reminder of this political and social schism.

In doing so, the book offers insight into our society, exploring issues of national identity, migration, colonialism/decolonialism, racism, the flag, austerity, the border in Northern Ireland, Scotland and how artists can intervene in political debate. It offers an original, visually stimulating and attractive examination of this still topical subject, revealing how art and photography can capture and memorialise key moments in our history.

Thank you to all who contributed to my book on the cultural repercussions of Brexit. We spoke about Brexit and the art of protest - let’s just say that neither the artists nor myself hold back. And a special thank you to all at Lund Humphries. 

 Leave to Remain, A Snapshot of Brexit released on 7th September 2023

Available to pre-order at https://www.lundhumphries.com/products/leave-to-remain

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12215035076?profile=originalI am writing a study on tourist photography for the Czech journal Fotograf Magazine. I devote a separate part of my study to Pattinson's daguerreotypes of Niagara Falls. During my brief research into Pattinson's images, I was struck by the fact that in the daguerreotype available in the Newcastle University Library collection, Pattinson appears to be gazing at the camera (see picture below; see also https://collectionscaptured.ncl.ac.uk/digital/collection/p21051coll22/id/4/rec/4).

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In the famous engraving in Lerebours' Excursions Daguerriennes, however, he is gazing at a waterfall in the kind of spirit of romanticism and the aesthetics of the picturesque (see the image below). 

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In this regard, I am curious whether Pattinson is gazing at the waterfall in the original daguerreotype after which the engraving was created or whether Frédéric Salathé, the author of the engraving, reversed the direction of his gaze.

Has the original daguerreotype survived? 

Geoffrey Batchen states in his book Apparitions that "the original daguerreotype has not survived the process of being turned into an engraving". However, Emily Ackerman, for example, mentioned in her paper that there are only three plates engraved using Fizeau's process in the Excursions Daguerriennes: the Hotel de Ville de Paris, the façade of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Maison Élevée Rue St. Georges (see https://journals.flvc.org/athanor/article/view/126677). So, I assume Niagara Falls's engraving was copied by hand instead of Fizeau's process, and it could exist.

I believe that the V&A's collection has a daguerreotype that could have been used to make the engraving in Excursions Daguerrienes. It seems pretty similar to the engraving; see https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1404059/niagara-falls-photograph-pattinson-hugh-lee/. They even note in the image description: "Possibly related to the daguerreotype used to create the engraving for Lerebours's 'Excursions Daguerriennes'." I have just asked the V&A for a higher-resolution reproduction, as the low resolution of the freely available one makes it impossible to examine the details of the daguerreotype. 

However, I wonder if my reasoning that this could be the daguerreotype after which the engraving was created might be correct.

I would be grateful for any clarifications and corrections to my assumptions.

Michal Šimůnek

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12215035061?profile=originalHistoric England’s Archive and Library is the nation’s archive of England’s historic environment. It is a national collection with nearly 15 million items, mostly photography and documents. including nationally important collections covering archaeology, architecture, social and local history.  It is an accredited Archive and a recognised place of deposit. The collection continues to grow for now, and for the future.

We have an important role in telling the story of England; its shared memories, lived histories and diverse cultural identities. We conserve, save and safeguard, as well as share, collect and generate income.

As Head of Archive & Library, you will lead and manage a specialist team. You will be responsible for shaping the way we collect, manage, conserve and make available archive assets in line with Historic England’s strategic objectives and priorities. You will ensure that we share our collections – both physical and digital - in accessible, inspiring and engaging ways and that our collections are increasingly inclusive and representative. You will be responsible for development of the growing archive of born digital material, working with the Head of Digital Engagement to develop an integrated ecosystem that ensures our collections are held in the most cost-effective way and accessible to the widest possible audience.

Details here: Head of Archive and Library - Historic England - Applied (beapplied.com) 

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The American photographer and educator John Benton-Harris has died. After completing US military service, in 1965 he settled in London, working as a staff photographer for London Life magazine.

See: https://www.johnbenton-harris.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Benton-Harris and

https://www.huckmag.com/article/photos-celebrating-the-eccentricities-of-london?fbclid=IwAR3srW5_ZFN58xbYHqY-gNHHX_srH44cedb3M1ND1dqyf-uDfz7kU3oRavs

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Essay: Exposed Slum photography

12215034476?profile=originalAeon, the digital magazine, has just published online a fascinating essay on slum photography which was at the heart of progressive campaigns against urban poverty, and was also a weapon against the working class poor. It is written by Sadie Levy Gale a PhD candidate in the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University, Wales. The paper mainly uses examples from London. 

See:  https://aeon.co/essays/slum-photos-were-weaponised-against-the-people-they-depictpublishes

Image: Southwark slum, London Metropolitan Archives 

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12215034459?profile=originalThere are a series of visits and online collection talks coming up over the next few months organised by the RPS's Historical group. First up on 2 September is a visit to the John Rylands Library where Tony Richards will discuss advanced heritage imaging techniques, which will be followed by a look at highlights from the library's photography collections.

Following on are: 

  • 7 September - the RIBA photography collection (online)
  • 19 September -  the William Graham collection at the Mitchell Library (online)
  • 4 October - Little Woman. The art of being Jane Wigley, daguerreotypist (online)
  • 6 October - Visit to Bradford Industrial Museum and its photography collection (live)
  • 22 October - Celebrating the Bromoil Circle Archive - demonstration, talk and display (live)

Full details and registration are here: https://events.rps.org/en/celebrating-the-bromoil-circle-archive-4a2N4Lhk0L/overview

Image: Ken Hill FRPS, Welsh Moor, Bromoil print, c.1980s.

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12215034682?profile=originalAs Collections Assistant (Data,) you will prepare, conserve, digitise and catalogue historic photographic material from the National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP_

The National Collection of Aerial Photography – ncap.org.uk – is one of the largest collections of photography in the world, a centre of excellence and standard-setter for the custodianship of historic aerial photography. NCAP holds over 30 million
aerial images that record key moments in history and places throughout the world.

Part of Historic Environment Scotland, NCAP sits within the Marketing and Engagement Directorate. Now at risk from environmental and historic deterioration, the DOS and ACIU Projects are preserving and digitising our collections using collaborative robots (cobots).

As a Collections Assistant (Data), you will prepare and conserve historic photographic material for digitisation to prescribed standards and will ensure that sufficient record is available for digitisation using robotically-operated digitisation workstations. You will load, unload and program workstations and prepare records for return to remote storage upon satisfactory completion of digitisation. You will undertake geospatial cataloguing, associated image processing, and quality assurance to prescribed technical standards. Key responsibilities and duties will include;
Process and conserve historic photographic material to NCAP record handling standards so as to minimise risk of damage during digitisation and storage.

  • Create digital images using cobots and scanners, handling original aerial photography, and associated records, for the DOS and ACIU Projects.
  • Ensure the quality of digital images produced meet NCAP standards for the creation of digital surrogates.
  • Undertake post-processing work including renaming, cataloguing and metadata to NCAP standards.
  • Work to and meet production targets and deadlines.
  • Maintain and update administrative records associated with the digitisation workflow, notably process tracking systems.
  • Adherence to established standards, practices and procedures is essential; thoughtful and informed modifications are welcomed.
  • Working across several teams, positive collaboration and cooperation is essential.
  • Frequently moving relatively heavy boxes of archival material is required, as is at times working in a climate-controlled/cold room.

See job details here

Read more on the National Collection of Aerial Photography here: https://ncap.org.uk/

Image: Muirhouse; Edinburgh; Midlothian; Scotland, 1991

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12215034290?profile=originalSotheby's have just posted the lot entry for a full set of Franklin daguerreotypes which will be sold by online-only auction next month but can be viewed in London before the auction closes. The lot which is estimated at £150,000-200,000 will be subject to an export licence if it sells overseas. 

Lot details are here:

Franklin Expedition—Richard Beard Studio

A unique set of 14 daguerreotypes of the officers of the Franklin expedition, 1845

14 sixth-plate daguerreotypes (70 x 83mm.), each hand-tinted with shell gold applied to the buttons, hat bands and epaulettes of the officers' jackets, all but one sealed, each inscribed on the verso (in ink or etched with a stylus, denoting name and sometimes rank of sitter, name of ship on which they served, and date), housed in a contemporary partitioned, book-form morocco case (203 x 339 x 22mm.), the daguerreotypes presented in four rows, blind-tooling around edges of lid and tray and to outer edges and inner faces of side walls, inner surface of compartments lined with glazed burgundy cloth, accompanied by a manuscript list of officers in ink on laid paper

12215034661?profile=originalTHE PRE-EMINENT SET OF DAGUERREOTYPES OF FRANKLIN'S DOOMED EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. THIS SENSATIONAL SET WAS OWNED BY FRANKLIN’S DIRECT DESCENDENTS, AND HAS NEVER BEEN SHOWN OR EXHIBITED IN PUBLIC.

PROVENANCE:

Family of Sir John Franklin, by direct descent

£150,000-200,000

As Michael Pritchard knows, I've been interested in these specific daguerreotypes for a while but am not an expert in daguerreotypes. While the details provided by Sotheby's raise some questions in my mind I hope that they might remain in Britain so that people can see the full set (Scott Polar Research Institute's set lacks two of the images) in person as well as online. 

Travel, Atlases, Maps, Photographs & Natural History
Online, 7 September 2023 10:00 BST

On view: 15-19 September 2023

Lot 265 https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/travel-atlas-maps-photographs/studio-of-richard-beard-a-set-of-14-daguerreotypes

and auction details are here:  https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/travel-atlas-maps-photographs

Russell Potter has a blog post here about their history and context https://visionsnorth.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-newfound-franklin-daguerreotypes.html

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12201232901?profile=originalHistoric England has just released 20,000 photographs captured by reconnaissance aircraft over England during the Second World War. The photos show airfields, military bases, towns, and countryside in England between 1943 and 1944. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) reconnaissance aircraft flew hundreds of sorties over England during the Second World War.

he Historic England Archive’s USAAF Collection comprises over 20,000 photographic prints taken by USAAF photographic reconnaissance (PR) aircraft during the Second World War. Nearly 19,000 frames have been catalogued.

Most of the photographs are vertical aerial photographs measuring 8 x 7 inches, 9 x 9 inches and 18 x 9 inches. Additionally, over 400 oblique 9 x 9-inch aerial photographs have been catalogued. Many of the photographs in the collection show areas of the English countryside that include military sites amongst patchworks of fields. There are views of villages and towns, with coverage extending from Cornwall to the Wash, and from the Sussex coast to urban Lancashire.

See the interactive map and information here to explore the collection: https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/archive/collections/photographs/usaaf-collection/

Image: Anti-tanl ditch surrounding Cissbury Ring Iron Age hill fort, Worthing, West Sussex, 22 April 1944.

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12201233495?profile=originalBPH has been advised that John Benjafield, the former dealer in photography and photohistorian has recently died. Based in Norwich, John had a successful career as a dealer in vintage and collectible photography, photographic illustrated books, and was a regular at auctions and fairs from the 1980s to 2000s. He was a regular exhibitor at the former London Photograph Fair, held at the Bonnington Hotel. 

More recently, John had turned his attention to sharing his extensive photographic knowledge, especially that of East Anglia and contributed text to A Victorian Gentleman's North Norfolk about the Norfolk photographer W J J Bolding (1815-1899), and in 2016 he set up a website Early Norfolk Photographs 1840-1860  

Please share your own memories of John. 

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12201214484?profile=originalThe Science Museum Group has published its 2022-23 accounts and performance metrics. Of particular note are those relating to the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford.  The headline number relates to visitor which have yet to rebound across the SMG. Those for the NSMM are at 187,000 for 2022-23 compared with 421,00 pre-pandemic. 

Year Visitors
2019-20 421,000
2020-21 11,000
2021-22 139,000
2022-23 187,000

The SMG has set a target of a return to the pre-pandemic numbers although the NSMM will be impacted by the closure of the museum pending the opening of the Sound and Vision Galleries in 2024.

The full report can be seen here

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12201233061?profile=originalIn my last entry, I explained that I was researching the life and work of my Great Great Grandfather, George Willis who was a photographer in York from 1855-1863 and in Scarborough from 1863 until he died in 1890.

I have finally collated together all my information and self-published on Amazon. The book is illustrated with 94 stereoviews and 57 assorted other formats (CDV, Cabinet Card and large format).

Due to the printing process, the photographs are not of photographic quality in the book but they are viewable. The Kindle version actually contains the photographs as they are which gives a better viewing experience.

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Step into the captivating world of George Willis, a self-taught photographer whose remarkable journey from industrial Birmingham to becoming a celebrated name in his field is a testament to passion and talent. In this extraordinary memoir, experience the triumphs, challenges, and groundbreaking innovations that shaped his exceptional career.

From his humble beginnings, George Willis's innate artistic eye and dedication propelled him to new heights. With the backing of prestigious Regent Street Photographers Negretti and Zambra, he embarked on exhilarating photography expeditions, capturing stunning landscapes and intriguing subjects that left an indelible mark on the industry.

Immerse yourself in the golden age of photography as Willis shares his intriguing correspondence with The Photographic News. Witness his relentless pursuit of perfection through daring experiments with chemical processes, pushing the boundaries of his craft. Through this treasure trove of letters, discover the mind of a true pioneer, constantly striving to refine his artistry.

Within these pages, you will find a curated selection of George Willis's stunning works. From the delicate allure of carte de Visite and Cabinet Cards to the immersive 3-D world of Stereoviews, his photographs transport you to a bygone era, preserving moments and landscapes for generations to come. In particular, immerse yourself in the mesmerizing stereoscopic views of Yorkshire, meticulously crafted to delight and enchant the countless tourists who flocked to the region.

The Life and Lens of George Willis is not merely a memoir, but a testament to the power of vision and the impact one individual can have on an entire industry. Join me on this captivating journey as I celebrate the life, work, and legacy of a true master of photography.

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Available from Amazon here

Thank you.

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12201228478?profile=originalAn interdisciplinary symposium and study day organised by The National Archives and the V&A Museum is being held over 13-14 September 2023). It consists of an online symposium and a study day. The event seeks to explore the materiality of the institutionalised photographic object.

Photographs are ubiquitous within many collections-holding institutions and as physical objects they engender a multitude of activities, many of which are centred on their status as a visual record with a unique documentary capacity. However, the material pervasiveness of photographic objects in collections obscures significant variations in their status and use in different institutional contexts. For example, at The National Archives in Kew, UK, photographs are primarily collected as visual records illustrating the various activities of the British government. As a consequence of their inclusion in what is primarily a text-based repository system, little critical attention has been paid to their status, or materiality, as photographs. The collection comprises around 8 million items and its subjects range across documentation of infrastructure projects, photographs registered for copyright to early colonial photography. The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, UK, also holds a significant collection of photography, estimated to contain around 400,000 objects.

For more details, and to book the online symposium please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-materials-of-photographysymposium-tickets-668419258997.

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12201232473?profile=originalThrough the lens of the pages of the Architectural Review magazine, Wide-Angle View is an exhibition on the Manplan series, a ground-breaking exploration of architecture’s impact on society.

This exhibition of over 70 original photographs, some that have never been seen before, offers a unique insights on society in the late 1960s. The magazine was bold and innovative in its tone and style, incorporating pioneering graphic and print techniques and radical photojournalism to analyse the state of society in Britain at the turn of the decade. It initiated a new outlook and approach to architectural debate and journalism that is still relevant today.

The Wide-Angle View photography exhibition looks at Manplan and presents photography from renowned professionals such as Ian Berry, Patrick Ward and Tony Ray-Jones at our Architecture Gallery in central London which is free and open to all.

Curated by Valeria Carullo, RBA, Photographs Curator. A smaller version of this exhibition was shown at The Photographers' Gallery.

Wide-Angle View. Architecture as social space in the Manplan series 1969-70
13 September 2023-24 February 2024
Architecture Gallery - ground floor
RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD

Details: https://www.architecture.com/explore-architecture/exhibitions/Manplan-Wide-angle-view

Photograph: Classroom window, Wales (Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Collections)

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Publication: Never a dull moment

12201227881?profile=originalThere was an unusual sense of urgency in the telephone ringing as we tumbled into the house. What we saw at the theatre that evening has long since gone into obscurity, while the content of that telephone call will remain in my mind forever.

It all began in November 1989 when I interviewed Stefan Lorant at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television at Bradford. It was his first visit to England for over fifty years. I had met Lorant the previous day, interviewing him for about one and a half hours. He asked me to send him a copy of my article that was being written for the British Journal of Photography. This I did after Christmas and promptly forgot about this intriguing episode.

Life moved on. It was mid-March and we had just returned home from an evening at the local theatre when the telephone rang. A mid-European voice, immediately recognisable, introduced itself asStefan Lorant from America.I like what you write. It was good. It cheered me up. But I am not egotistical!The fact that he was egotistical was both evident and obvious and was to become more so as the days passed. We talked and he said he would like me to see his archive in Lenox, Massachusetts and continue our conversation. He saw it as a time to get the story correct, not just for himself but for his friends who were now all deceased.If I send you the ticket, will you come?Answering in a dazed affirmative I wished himgood night. Had I really given the impression this was another everyday event? Regaling the story to colleagues, family and friends, all agreed that this was an opportunity not to be missed.

Further telephone calls and the arrival of that essential airline ticket now saw me on Virgin Atlantic Flight 001 out of London, Heathrow bound for Newark, New Jersey.

This was pure theatre!! The overture had only just faded away and there was a nervousfirst nightanticipation with the curtain about to go up…. There was never a dull moment. This book are the edited diaries from 1990 to 1999.

Never a dull moment
Michael Hallett
CrabApple Publications, 2023.
ISBN: 978-1-3999-4566-0.
Softback. 344 pages, 
£22 plus postage & packaging.
Available from 
http://www.michaelhallett.com

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12201231452?profile=originalUnder a turbulent sky is an exhibition of prints by Fay Godwin, one of the most respected and significant British photographers of the 20th century. Zelda Cheatle, gallery owner and friend of Fay Godwin, describes her as having been ‘an independent, intelligent and courageous photographer’ and Roger Taylor, in his essay for the retrospective publication Landmarks (2002), referred to her ‘mastery of the elusive grammar of greys.’

This exhibition represents a selection from what photo-historian Ian Jeffrey has described as a unique photographic ‘survey’ of the landscape of Britain, carried out by Fay Godwin for exhibitions and books between 1972 – 1994 and
particularly celebrates her pioneering attention to environmental issues.

Today, as landscape continues to be a subject photographers turn to when contemplating the ways we relate to where we live and the impact humans have on the land, Fay Godwin’s work continues to influence.

In 2016, Peter Cattrell, landscape photographer, teacher and fine printer, who printed for Fay Godwin’s books and exhibitions throughout the 1980s, made eighteen new Fay Godwin prints from the original negatives held in The British Library archive. These were first shown in 2017 at MoMA Machynlleth, in mid-Wales, curated by Diane Bailey and Geoff Young.

The prints have been personally selected by people who knew or worked with and were influenced by Fay Godwin; by curators, collectors and historians of photography as well as by close friends and members of her family who were invited by Diane Bailey and Geoff Young to make their selection.

The Kestle Barton exhibition of Fay Godwin’s photography, Under a turbulent sky (9 Sep – 28 Oct) includes the eighteen analogue prints from the initial exhibition, along with another nine new digital prints; again from the original negatives held in The British Library archive and accompanied by an additional nine contributors’ captions.

12201231294?profile=originalFay Godwin (1931-2005) is an internationally acclaimed photographer who began her professional career as a portrait
photographer in the 1970s. During this period she collaborated on books with a number of writers; perhaps the best known is Remains of Elmer (1979), a book of poems and photographs produced with Ted Hughes. It was these poetic interpretations of the British landscape that established her reputation as one of Britain’s most accomplished photographers.

Her approach was distinct from that of other landscape photographers at the time; essentially descriptive, recording the
specific and objective: the man-made landmark, the characteristic lines of a particular stretch of worked land.

While Fay walked the land, her interrogation of those people who made their living from the land and her challenges to those who despoiled it or owned and co trolled unfair proportion of it, informed and amplified her practice as a photographer. Her environmental campaigning through both her landscape photography and her writing, singles her out and gives the work in this exhibition added meaning today.

Kestle Barton is an ancient Cornish farmstead situated above the Helford River. Following an award-winning conservation and conversion project the beautiful old farm buildings have new uses, one of the barns becoming an elegant gallery that opened in 2010. From early April to late October each year, the gallery, garden and wildflower meadow beyond, hosts a programme of three free exhibitions and a number of other events. Surrounding barns and the old farmhouse have been converted into stylish and comfortable holiday accommodation, all profits from which go towards funding the exhibition and event programme.

Fay Godwin. Under a turbulent sky
9 September – 28 October 2023
www.kestlebarton.co.uk

Learn about the Fay Godwin Archive at the British Library here

Image: Top: Fay Godwin, Above Lumbutts, Lancashire, 1978 chosen by Zelda Cheatle. Copyright: The Fay Godwin Archive - The British Library; Lower: Fay Godwin, Pett Level, East Sussex, 1988 chosen by Brett Rogers. Copyright: The Fay Godwin Archive - The British Library

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12201227688?profile=originalThe British Library’s Talbot Collection comprises a major archive of correspondence, notebooks, photographs and other material relating to the life and work of the British inventor of photography William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877). This was formerly held at Talbot’s family home at Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire and was presented to the British Library in 2006 by Petronella and Janet Burnett-Brown. These collections illustrate the breadth of Talbot’s cultural and scientific interests and achievements, in fields as diverse as mathematics, botany, astronomy and the decipherment of Assyrian cuneiform.

The photographic component of the collection comprises approximately 1,500 papers negatives and prints by Talbot and his circle made between 1839 and the mid-1840s. In addition to Talbot’s own photographs, the collection includes important work from the 1840s by contemporaries such as Rev Calvert Richard Jones (1804-1877) and Rev George Wilson Bridges (1788-1863). There is also a small collection of daguerreotypes which includes portraits of Talbot, his children and his manservant and assistant Nicolaas Henneman (1813-1898). This material is complemented by albums of drawings and prints by members of Talbot’s family.

While the William Henry Fox Talbot Catalogue Raisonne Project brought the wider holdings of Talbot and his wider together on a single platform, the individual paper negatives and prints held in the British Library's collection are now digitally accessible through the Explore Archives and Manuscript online catalogue (select digital object). These can be magnified and downloaded under the Creative Commons Public Domain license. 

For direct links to the Talbot Collection through the Explore Archives and Manuscripts catalogue or the Universal Viewer:

Talbot Photo 1: Talbot Collection: Negatives. Photographer: William Henry Fox Talbot, Nicolaas Henneman, Calvert Richard Jones, George Wilson Bridges and others - please note that the individual images can be accessed through the individual record (359 images)

Talbot Photo 2: Talbot Collection: Prints. Photographer(s): Talbot, William Henry Fox (759 images)

Talbot Photo 3: Talbot Collection: Stabilised Prints. Photographer(s): Talbot, William Henry Fox (188 images) 

Talbot Photo 4: Talbot Collection: Daguerreotypes and glass plates. Photographer(s): Beard, Richard and Antoine Claudet (15 items)

Talbot Photo 7: The Talbot Collection: The Pencil of Nature, Part 3. Photographer(s): Talbot, William Henry Fox

Talbot Photo 8: The Talbot Collection: The Pencil of Nature, Part 3. Photographer(s): Talbot, William Henry Fox 

Talbot Photo 9: The Talbot Collection: The Pencil of Nature, Part 4. Photographer(s): Talbot, William Henry Fox

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British Library Talbot Photo 1(1) Articles of china. Photographer: William Henry Fox Talbot (bl.uk)

As more of digitised photographic collections are made available through Explore Archives and Manuscripts, we will share updates when possible. 

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12201226057?profile=originalOn at Hillhead Library, Glasgow, until the 20th August, A Window on Ukraine offers distinctive observations and reflections of the country over several years by Glasgow-based photographer Robert Burns, who has been visiting Ukraine since 2007. Whilst on holiday in Crete in 2006, a chance meeting by Robert Burns with three Ukrainians kindled an interest that took the photographer back to the country again and again. The exhibition demonstrates his keen interest and empathy for the ordinary people in Kyiv and other nearby towns and cities. He has recorded the joys of Ukrainian life, the weddings, the festivals, children at play and vibrant street life.

Born in Glasgow in 1944, Robert studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1962 to 1966, and it was at this time he became serious about photography, having first worked in his father’s home darkroom in the mid-1950s. After a spell in advertising, Robert became an art teacher but continued with personal work in photography, documenting the Glasgow International Jazz Festival since the early 1990s and making portraits of artists, writers and friends. Robert is internationally recognised as a master fine art printer for his ability to get the best results, not only from his own creations but also from the negatives of other photographers. "In the 90's I was printing for many international clients and magazines in Japan, Italy, Germany and France. Regularly for Italian Elle and Madam Figaro in Paris. In the past ten years I have been printing the archive of Margaret Watkins 1884-1969 and the archive of David Peat 1947-2012.” Robert was one of the originating members of Glasgow Photography Group, an enthusiastic collective of photographers who sought recognition for the medium in Glasgow and Scotland. The group's first exhibition was in January 1988 at Hillhead Library, hosted by the arts group Open Circle, with work by Alan Dimmick, Robert Burns, Ola Bambgboye, Stewart Shaw, Gwyneth Leech, and others. The advocacy of GPG eventually led to the establishment of Street Level Gallery and Workshop in September 1989.

This exhibition was first shown in 2015 at the Hidden Lane Gallery, Finnieston, Glasgow. 'Sweeping the Lavra' © Robert Burns

See: https://www.streetlevelphotoworks.org/event/robert-burns-window-on-ukraine

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Image: Sweeping the Lavra Robert Burns, courtesy of Street Level Photoworks

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12201229489?profile=originalIn this new book Charmaine Toh, who is a  former Senior Curator at the National Gallery of Singapore, looks at pictorial photography in Singapore from the 1950s to 1970s, through the optics of the local photographic societies, exhibitions and salons. Her work is based on contemporary sources, interviews and an examination of the extant archives of the photographers of the period. The period was one which Toh notes 'saw an incredible explosion of local photographic practice via camera clubs’ and a ‘vibrant photographic scene’.

This is the first study of pictorial photography from Singapore, and it is intimately linked with a narrative of Singapore’s move to independence with many camera club members being associated with the ruling People’s Action Party. The (new) Singapore Camera Club, later Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS), was formed in 1950 and that year the Singapore Art Society held its first open photographic exhibition, which was rooted in the prevailing pictorial amateur style of the period. How this evolved into a distinctive ‘Singapore pictorialism’ is explored in Toh’s wider narrative.

The book’s introduction sets out Toh’s main arguments that photography during the period took on multiple roles, acting as a symbol of democracy and modernity, staging a national identity and providing a mechanism for Singaporeans to engage with ideas of the past, present and future. These are explored in detailed in the following chapters.

She proposes that these effected a particular Singaporean experience which led to a distinct variant of pictorial photography, she calls ‘Singapore pictorialism’, to distinguish it from European pictorialism from the 1890s and modernist photography which developed in America from the 1920s. This section of the book also provides a useful contextual discussion of pictorialism and reminds us that the term has always been a fluid one with a fuzzy boundary with modernist photography.

12201230054?profile=originalChapter 2 explores this concept of a distinctive Singapore approach. Toh positions it as the start of a modernist practice of photography that was predicated on the notion of a fully self-conscious and autonomous art form. This coincided with Singapore’s key nation-building years, occurring after the Japanese occupation from 1942-45, with Singapore gaining independence from the British to join Malaysia in 1963, its separation in 1965 to form an independent republic, and the associated societal upheavals.

Toh makes a strong case for a distinctive post-1950 Singaporean pictorialism rooted from the first exhibition of 1950 and the situating of photography outside of a traditional art narrative. This resulted in a more open attitude to photographic styles from a younger generation of amateurs who were self-taught, and were, arguably, democratic and open in race and class. The photographs explored beauty and positive images of people and scenes, with Singapore pictorialism, overlain by a modernist discourse as photography was co-opted to support Singapore’s efforts to be recognised as a modern society.

In chapter 3 Toh tackles one of the main criticisms of Singapore pictorialism that its subject matter was repetitive. She investigates the role of the camera clubs and salons and how new amateurs learned to make photographs and the role of salons and judges in reinforcing the selection of certain types of photography. 

The photographic club she says ‘acted simultaneously as the academy, the museum and the critic, while also providing a social setting for its members.’ The competitive nature of the salon encouraged photographers to make their pictures to win awards rather than to reach new artistic standards. This was reinforced by salon jury members who came from those same clubs which encouraged entrants to produce work which would appeal to senior photographers.

In chapter 4 – Toh looks at the international dimension of Singapore pictorialism, particularly the connection to nationalism, and the close ties between the Photographic Society of Singapore, the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, and the Photographic Society of America. In 1960, the South-East Asia Photographic Society (SEAPS) organised the first International Pictorial Photography Exhibition of Singapore, and photographs from Singapore circulated more widely through international networks of club competitions and salon exhibitions.

It is clear that, like the rest of Singapore, photographers were conscious of the changing status of the nation, along with a growing sense of national identity beyond that of a British colony. Recognition of the state played a huge role in the way salon photography was presented. Furthermore, Toh contends that it was the international aspect of pictorial photography – its networks – that allowed the salon itself to represent the state and to feed into Singapore’s burgeoning sense of nation.

Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew observed in the catalogue of the 1963 Singapore International Salon: ‘The Society, through its regular activities for members and sponsorship of local and international photographic competitions in Singapore and participation in photographic events overseas, has helped to raise the standard and prestige of Singapore photographers’. And one might add Singapore itself.

The Singapore government also saw  the potential of photography as a tool of nation-building and responded accordingly. Photography was appropriated into the state’s narrative of multiculturalism and was also seen as a tool of soft diplomacy. Government agencies organised their own competitions to emphasise Singapore’s modernity.

12201230454?profile=originalChapter 5 returns the reader to a local audience. Toh positions pictorial photographs away from being historical records, arguing instead that they demonstrate the way the historical imagination of Singapore was negotiated visually. Singapore pictorialism offered its practitioners a way to ‘control’ their environment, presenting a ‘visual comfort’ during a period of social upheaval. Photographs allowed the new nation to re-imagine a new, modern Singapore during a critical period of change, to reflect on its history, and to navigate Singapore’s past, present and future within a post-colonial world.

She shows how composite photographs and shows examples of work from photographers that were ostensibly depicting the past, but were always about the present, and formed a crucial part of the new modernity. Photographs of the rural operated to simultaneously show both the past and the present, which was part of the process of re-imagining Singapore during a critical period of change. Images of ‘past’ Singapore showed the rural, images of modern Singapore focussed on scenes of building and construction.

In her conclusion brings her themes together and, additionally, notes the male-centric nature of Singaporean photography in the period with an absence of female, Indian or Malay voices, although they were probably present. Despite an avowed democracy, Singapore pictorialism remained a middle and upper-class endeavour. Her work supports and explains the concept of a distinctive Singaporean pictorialism.

Charmaine Toh’s account of Singapore pictorialism adds to a wider understanding of pictorialism outside of Europe and America, as well as showing how the movement evolved locally into the later twentieth century. Her book is an exemplar of how a study of a local photographic practice, can be set into a national cultural and political context and a wider international scene.  Its publication highlights the need for a similar study looking how amateur photography in Britain evolved from the 1930s into the postwar period. It is a important contribution to photographic literature and the study of Asian photography and is highly recommended.

If there is any criticism it is that the book’s price will put it beyond the reach of individuals which is a shame as it is eminently readable, well-illustrated, and it fully deserves a wider audience.

© Dr Michael Pritchard

Imagining Singapore. Pictorial Photography from the 1950s to the 1970s
Photography in Asia series, no. 2
Charmaine Toh
Brill, 2023
ISBN 978-90-04-51341-9 (hard back)
ISBN 978-90-04-53863-4 (e-book)
€128.00
Details: https://brill.com/display/title/62135?contents=editorial-content

Illustrations: Top: Fook Leun Yan, Dawn of Spring, from Photograms of the Year, 1956, plate 82, and Lower: Yip Cheong Fun, Dance while the sun is bright, from Photograms of the Year 1960, plate 50.

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