Blogs

To commemorate the centenary of Dorothy Bohm’s birth, Beam Editions has published a new book that takes a fresh look at the work of one of the most prolific and admired female photographers of the second half of the 20th Century. This is a rare opportunity to acquire an original print of an image that will feature in the volume – all sales will contribute to the production of the book. A special edition copy of the book forms part of this offer which is only available until 10 April.

The launch of the book will coincide with the upcoming exhibition of her work at the Photographers Gallery, London in Spring/Summer 2024. It features an introduction from Martin Barnes, Senior Curator of Photographs, Victoria & Albert Museum, a biographical essay by art historian Monica Bohm-Duchen and short texts by a wide range of notable contributors, each focussing on a single photograph.

Dorothy Bohm at 100. A life in photography
Hardcovers, approx 200 pages
Original print from the volume available until 10 April
Details: https://www.beameditions.uk/dorothy-bohm

The European Society for the History of Photography has published PhotoResearcher with papers from last year's conference on the darkroom. The issue is introduced by Sara Dominici, the conference convenor and includes nine papers presented during the two-day conference. The issue can be purchased in print on as a download

PhotoResaercher, no. 41 2024
The Darkroom. Chemical, Cultural, Industrial
Guest edited by Sara Dominci
European Society for the History of Photography
€21
Details: http://www.eshph.org/journal/photoresearcher-no-41-2024/

The latest issue of The Classic preview the AIPAD photography show in April and Robert Hershkowitz's exhibition of French Calotypes at Photo London in May. Alongside these are interviews with Timothy Prus of the Archive of Modern Conflict, Matt Butson of the Getty Archive who discusses Stefan Lorant, and Antoine Romand, the Paris-based photography expert. Two features look at the Etherton Gallery in Tuscon and a discussion of the framing of photographs in the nineteenth century. 

As usual The Classic can be downloaded for free or copies are available at selected fairs and venues.

See: https://theclassicphotomag.com/the-classic-11/

Cartomania was a photographic phenomenon that seized the public imagination at the beginning of the 1860s. Small portraits, dubbed cartes de visite, were avidly exchanged with friends and family, quickly earning a reputation as ‘the paper currency of social intercourse’. Compiled into albums and prominently displayed in the home to peruse, assess and discuss, this first explosion of commercial portraiture proved a wildly popular craze, particularly once celebrities embraced the new format.

Paul Frecker’s lavishly illustrated account brings fresh insight into the careers of the enterprising men and women who established studios and into the lives of those who passed before their cameras. With unparalleled depth of research and evocative prose, he vividly brings to life the photographers and many of their subjects. From reigning queens and visiting sultans to grieving mothers and nefarious criminals, all life lies within. Whether dressed in their best or in fancy dress, Cartomania’s devotees and their often extraordinary stories are laid bare in this fascinating view of mid-Victorian society.

Cartomania: Photography and celebrity in the nineteenth century
Paul Frecker
September Publishing
£40, hardcovers
ISBN: 978191461362
Preorder: https://septemberpublishing.org/product/cartomania-hb/

This talk will reflect upon Dr Amy King's doctoral research undertaken at the Sainsbury Research Unit, University of East Anglia, exploring the photographic archive of Upoto, a Baptist Missionary Society station established in what was the northern Congo Free State in 1890.

Her thesis was titled: Visual Testaments: Re-collecting the Photographic Archive of the Upoto Mission 1890 - 1915. This research project drew upon the unusually rich photographic sources connected with the missionaries who were stationed there in order to interrogate the historical evidence they contain. Methodologically she was interested in how this visual evidence worked with and against different kinds of textual and material sources which have survived from Upoto outside of Africa. Her research was concerned with the kinds of unique historical evidence that photographs contain, and what visual sources can contribute to our understanding of the past.

Her doctoral thesis interrogated the visual strategies through which mission work at Upoto was represented for audiences in Britain in the late nineteenth century and the tensions between the public narratives of evangelical work and more privately documented experiences. It also examined the diverse, complex and evolving relationships between British missionaries and local Bapoto and Bangombe people at Upoto as the Christian community was established.

Her original study of the missionary archive from Upoto has generated new insights into the presence, actions and experiences of Congolese people who lived at Upoto during a period of immense social and cultural upheaval brought by colonialism".

You are warmly invited to the first of our Spring series of 'Opening the Angus' online seminars, when Dr Amy King will be speaking about her work using the marvellous photographic archive of the Baptist Missionary Society, which is held in the Angus Library.

The Photographic Archive of the Upoto Mission, Congo Free State: Some Reflections on Using Visual Sources to Expand Mission Histories
Dr Amy King
Hosted by Centre for Baptist Studies and The Angus Library. The Centre works in partnership with the Angus Library and Archive at Regent’s Park College, Oxford, and with the Baptist Historical Society
Online, 11 April 2024 at 1930 (BST)
Free, register here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/RdiEJKhzXNnT

ImageL Portrait of Harry and Jessie White and their child, illustration in Harry White, Missionary to the Congo (Roberts 1901, opposite page 1).

The first part of the Directory of Travelling Photographers. Part I: 1841-1881 is now available online via the Romany and Traveller Family History Society website. The intention is to produce a second part for 1882-1901 later this year, and to add further details as they emerge. The primary aims of the publication are to create greater awareness of the role of travelling photographers within the wider community, and to assist with correlation of photographs to photographers.

The idea of creating a Directory of Travelling Photographers was inspired by RTFHS member Chy Hersey’s searches for ‘van dwellers’ in the British Newspaper Archive, connected to an interest in the family history and social history of Romanies and Travellers in the British Isles. As Chy began to gather references, many were of ‘travelling photographers’ – and it soon became evident that relatively little had been researched and documented about this occupation or the lives of the individuals who followed it, even though there were considerable numbers of them even within 20 years of the invention of photography.

There was obviously pioneering work to be done and Chy took up the challenge. The Directory is the result – and now Chy has allowed the RTFHS to make it available online to benefit those who have Romany or Traveller ancestors who give their occupation as ‘photographer’ in historic documents as well as people with a broader interest in the history of photography.

The Directory has a short introduction with notes on search methods and related resources, followed by listings in chronological order. Brief details are given, usually of first reference, together with source of information.  Entries can also be searched for surnames, locations, etc. The lists include some related details which place the lives of travelling photographers in context, such as their family links, area and methods of travel, perils and misfortunes.

Directory of Travelling Photographers. Part I: 1841-1881
Resarched and compiled by Chy Hersey
Published by Romany & Traveller Family History Society (R&TFHS)
Free to download on: https://rtfhs.org.uk/directory-of-travelling-photographers-1841-1881/

The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford has announed that it will re-openin two phases in 2025 following 'unforeseen delays' during its £6m Sound and Vision capital redevelopment.The museum will now reopen to visitors at the start of Bradford’s City of Culture year, with the new Sound and Vision galleries launching later in 2025.

The museum closed in June 2023 to undergo a £6 million transformation bringing in two new permanent galleries, a new passenger lift and an improved entrance. During the lift's excavation contractors discovered an unexpected make-up of ground that has led to delays.

Commenting on the change Jo Quinton-Tulloch, the director of the National Science and Media Museum, said “While the impact of this delay in the short term is frustrating, our Sound and Vision project will future proof the museum for decades to come,” said . “Our new Sound and Vision galleries will completely transform the museum’s visitor offer by showcasing our incredible collections and ensuring visitors can find stories that resonate with them". She added: the additional passenger lift is “a crucial part of our transformation that will enable us to welcome many more visitors in 2025 and beyond. “Despite extensive survey work before the excavation commenced, our contractors encountered an unexpected make-up of ground at the base of the lift, which took much longer to excavate than anticipated. Whilst the impact of this delay in the short term is frustrating, our Sound and Vision project will future proof the museum for decades to come.”

Designed by gallery architects, AOC (Agents of Change), the new galleries will showcase the museum’s core collections through the four key themes of Innovation, Identities, Storytelling and Everywhere, to lead visitors on a journey through the explosion of sound and image technologies, and the impact on our lives. The latest design renders illustrate some of these themes and the key moments and stories that visitors will be able to explore throughout the galleries.  

In the section on Identities, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in an interactive space with ‘sound showers’, a mixing desk and dance floor to evoke the shared experience and thrill of live performances and gigs. A key moment in Storytelling will take visitors through the long history of creating animation from flipbooks and stop motion to digital illustrations through the stories of beloved fictional characters such as the March Hare from Alice in Wonderland. Local radio station, Bradford Community Broadcasting (BCB) will also feature in the new galleries in Everywhere, where an interactive studio space will tell the story of how sound and image technologies have enabled local community representation in broadcasting and give visitors the chance to be a radio DJ.   

In a newly reconfigured part of the galleries which has opened up a double height space, artist Nayan Kulkarni has been commissioned to create an interactive installation called ‘Circus.’ Visitors will be invited to enter a room that comes to life using a captured live feed of themselves, like a chamber of mirrors, encouraging visitors to engage with broadcast technologies and see how image manipulation has changed over time.  

The museum has shared some of the designs that can be expected when it reopens next year, including an interactive space with ‘sound showers’, a mixing desk and dance floor to evoke the shared experience and thrill of live performances and gigs. Elsewhere, the artist Nayan Kulkarni has been commissioned to create an interactive installation called Circus, where visitors will enter a 'chamber of mirrors' room filled with a captured live feed of themselves.

“Our new gallery designs reveal how the spaces will be dynamic, interactive and inspiring, underlining how all areas of our collection from photography to videogaming are embedded in every aspect of our lives,” said Quinton-Tulloch. “Visitors will be able to see the first ever photographic image, have a go at being a sound engineer, step inside the studio of a local radio station and enter a live art installation. We’ve also worked closely with local communities to ensure we’re telling stories that are relevant to Bradford, showcasing the creativity and diversity of our home city. We look forward to welcoming visitors back into the museum and into our new Sound and Vision galleries in 2025.”

See: https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/about-us/sound-and-vision-project
and FAQs: https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/closure-FAQ

Topfoto, the remarkable historical picture agency and archive founded in 1927, has revealed a reimagined brand identity to welcome the next chapter of this nearly 100-year young firm.  

Defined by a vast legacy and pioneering attitude, the Topfoto brand embraces both our impressive heritage and trailblazing spirit. The profound challenge of generative AI means this is the exact moment to show why and how we are amongst the best independent photographic archives in the world, passionately committed to authenticity, exclusive collections and commercial thinking on our clients’ behalf. 

The new home page includes a short video clip of the Topfoto Archive based in Kent, UK - topfoto.co.uk

The Bodleian Library's first curator of photography, Phillip Roberts, has left his post to spend more more time with his family, Writing last week on X, formerly Twitter, Roberts said "I decided to stop being the Bodliean’s [sic] photography curator The library has been wonderful, but the loves of my little life are 300 miles away and I want to be part of a family I’m tired of trains and sleeping on my own. My life is more than my work and my work doesn’t give me the things that I really want. I’d rather be in love".

He added that "I’m sad because I have built something really special in Oxford The Bodliean [sic] is going to be one of the country’s most important photographic collections. It’s one of the very few places able to collect complete photographers archives (and one of the few collecting at all). British photography desperately needs somewhere committed to preserving its history. Oxford has the resources to guarantee the survival of vulnerable archives and to give weight to an underresourced photo heritage sector". 

Phillip Roberts joined the Bodleian in March 2022 as as Bern and Ronny Schwartz Curator of Photography. He was previously at the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford. 

See: https://britishphotohistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/bodleian-curator-of-photography-announced

UPDATE: Phillip's former role is now bring advertised: https://britishphotohistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/vacancy-the-bern-and-ronny-schwartz-curator-of-photography-bodlei