| Newsletter for Collectors - Vol 5.1 | January 23, 2011 | | | Home • What‘s New • Photographers • Online Exhibitions
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Library • Contact us Welcome to 2011.
Robert Hirsch of Light Research and Alan Griffiths of Luminous-Lint have been collaborating to create visually rich online histories of photography that we call Images and Words. As it is the 5th anniversary of Luminous-Lint we have a bit of a surprise for you and here it is - the first tentative step of what we are planning.
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This part of Luminous-Lint is a collaborative project to provide authoritative online histories of photography
created to the highest academic standards that evolve over time as the knowledge within the global community improves.
We will be adding additional content, footnotes, examples and indexes as the project proceeds.
Our motivation in this project is to allow readers access to a greater range of illustrative examples than is possible within
the confines of printed volumes. It will take full advantage of the Internet with links for additional research, audio and
video materials where appropriate. We do not see this project as one with boundaries and set authors but rather as one that is expansive
and collaborative.
The advantage of this collaboration is that it will allow the highest quality texts to be supported by the wide range of
images, biographies and online exhibitions that are already indexed and available on Luminous-Lint and elsewhere. As much of the material
comes from private collections this will allow us to create rich, deep, fluid and highly visual histories of photography. Whereas a
normal history may refer to the 1894 Photo Club of Paris catalogue we can show all the images for those interested in gaining a deeper
understanding. Iconic photographs can be explained by critics, photo-historians or the photographer who took the image. The structure
of a printed book however is important as it provides a coherent form that is lacking in almost all websites - sometimes to their benefit
but not where a structured understanding is required. This project will have both a structure but allow access to additional materials in novel ways.
Both authors appreciate that there are subjects which are covered only briefly or not at all and over time we will work
with colleagues to gradually fill in the pieces. We are not seeking to reinvent the wheel so if you have material
that will fill in a gap or elucidate a point or footnote please let us know.
This project is an adventure that both of us are enthusiastic about and if it helps to encourage a deeper understanding of
a subject we love so much the better.
Over the years both of us have been assisted by thousands of people and we will make certain that
each is thanked properly on this site as it progresses.
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Starting points...
Robert Hirsch Exploring Color Photography, Fifth edition (Focal Press, 2010)
Robert Hirsch Seizing the Light: A Social History of Photography, Second edition (McGraw-Hill, 2009)
Final note...
If it fails, strange things show up on the screen, text shows out of order and links do not work... no problem that is software testing! Come back soon or drop me an email at alan@luminous-lint.com and I‘ll try and sort it out. Many thanks for your patience.
NEW ONLINE EXHIBITIONS
- Mitch Dobrowner - Storms
The images produced in this series represent the beginning of a new project that started as an experiment in the summer of 2009.
Growing up on Long Island, NY I ve always loved being caught in thunderstorms. Since childhood the memories have been seared into my brain. Now fast forward to today – and while photographing the landscapes of the Southwest I’ve always gone out in the nastiest, most unstable weather possible. Thus I decided my next move was to locate the most severe weather I could. This brought me to Tornado Alley and the Great Plains of the USA...
- Scientific: Contemporary
This exhibition brings together some of the examples that will be used to illustrate Images and Words: An Online History of Photography as it continues to improve.
Related Luminous-Lint exhibitions on science:
- Constantinople, The Architecture
"It has been said in many books that inside Constantinople was ugly and filthy; this is wrong: every street corner has its landscape, each house its wonders and those who complained have not had the courage to confront the myriad paths of Stamboul..”
Maxime du Camp, Souvenirs and landscapes of the East (1848)
With an introduction to the early photographers of Constantinople by John Toohey.
Related Luminous-Lint exhibitions on locations:
- 19th Century Photographic Publications: Illustrated books
An introduction to the study of the 19th century illustrated book. Here are some references to follow up on.
Sheila Foster, Manfred Heiting, Rachel Stuhlman Imagining Paradise: The Richard and Ronay Menschel Library at George Eastman House, Rochester (Steidl and George Eastman House, Rochester, 2007) [A glorious volume to peruse.]
Helmut Gernsheim, Incunabula of British Photographic Literature: A Bibliography of British Photographic Literature, 1839-75 (London, Berkeley: Scolar Press in association with Derbyshire College of Higher Education, 1984)
Lucien Goldschmit & Weston J. Naef. The Truthful Lens: A survey of the photographically illustrated book, 1844-1914 (New York : Grolier Club, 1980)
P.M. Hertzmann, Inc / Margolis & Moss 100 Books with Original Photographs 1846-1919 (San Francisco & Santa Fe: P.M. Hertzmann, Inc / Margolis & Moss, 2003) [Sales catalogue]
David Margolis, David & Martha A. Sandweiss. To Delight the Eye: Original photographic book illustrations of the American West (S.l., 1994)
Julia Van Haaften "Original Sun Pictures: a checklist of the New York Public Library s holdings of early works illustrated with photographs, 1844-1900", New York Public Library Bulletin, Spring 1977
- Scientific: 19th Century Geology and Palaeontology
An overview of how photography was used in the 19th century to provide evidence for the study of geology and palaeontology.
- Will Dunniway: Plains Indian Tintype Plates
This series of contemporary tintypes taken using the wet plate collodion by Will Dunniway of Plains Indian portraits raises lots of questions. The photographs are taken using cameras, lenses and chemical formulae that are as close as possible to those used by nineteenth century photographers. The growth of interest in nineteenth century processes has highlighted what does and doesn t work and this experimentation enriches our knowledge of the past.
- James Robertson
James Robertson (1813-1888) was an English photographer who photographed throughout the Mediterranean in the 1850s. In 1855 he photographed the Crimean War. Later he photographed in Egypt, the Middle East and India. He was the brother-in-law of photographers Antonio and Felice Beato.
- Carl Uytterhaegen: Cité3
An exhibition that requires another look - Cité is the French word for a neighbourhood: a loosely defined area in a community which bears some common identity. In the city of Auchel there are different ‘cité‘. Cité3 is the oldest one. Cité5 is a newer one built on the other side of the slag heap half a mile away. Auchel, A Curse, A Camp, A Ghetto - A bewildered documentary photo essay by Carl Uytterhaegen
- Les Travaux Publics de la France (1878-1882)
In the middle of the nineteenth century a large number of public works were being constructed in France for the benefit of society. The bridges, roads, canals, port improvements, lighthouses and beacons were under the direction of the Ministère des Travaux Publics and photographs were shown at the Universal Exhibition in Vienna (1873). It was decided to create a publication of the photographs and this was organised by James de Rothschild and additional photographs were added. The photographs taken show the marvels of the construction and to emphasise the grandeur they are almost totally devoid of people. The finest regional photographers from France were involved in the undertaking and it stands as one of the great documentary studies but it is little known outside France.
The work was published in five parts:
Volume I: Félix Lukas - Ponts et routes (Paris: J. Rothschild, 1878-1882) [Bridges and roads]
Volume II: Edourd-Charles-Romain Collignon - Chemins de fer (Paris: J. Rothschild, 1878-1882) [Railways]
Volume III: H. de Lagrene - Rivières et canaux (Paris: J. Rothschild, 1878-1882) [Rivers and canals]
Volume IV: Voisin-Bey - Ports de mer (Paris: J. Rothschild, 1878-1882) [Sea ports]
Volume V: Emile Allard - Phares et balises (Paris: J. Rothschild, 1878-1882) [Lighthouses and beacons]
Related Luminous-Lint exhibitions on documentary photography:
Here is next batch of online exhibitions for Luminous-Lint that I would welcome scans for and advice on.
- Contemporary work with alternative processes - We had a series of exhibitions covering "Noble Processes" about four years ago on Luminous-lint and it is now time to improve them so suggestions for additional photographers are welcome.
Related Luminous-Lint online exhibitions:
Contemporary Noble processes
Contemporary Daguerreotypes
Contemporary Tintypes
Contemporary Photogravure
Contemporary Bromoil prints
Updates to the Contemporary Tintypes and an exhibition on Contemporary Ambrotypes are in progress.
- Costume and Fashion photography - In 2011 there will be between five and ten online exhibitions added to Luminous-lint. This will cover the history of costume and fashion photography; some will showing stylistic changes and others will focus on key photographers including Cecil Beaton, Horst, and Norman Parkinson. If there are estates and curators who would like to be involved or have expertise to share let me know.
- Contemporary documentary and photojournalism - A vast topic but I need assistence and suggestions from rights agencies, image librarians, galleries and dealers to get permission for the very best photo-essays of the last ten years. These will be used to illustrate the texts with Images and Words. Suggestions for stories are welcome.
The online exhibitions on Luminous-lint are never static so if you have better quality scans or a correction let me know.
Join in when you can - sharing makes the world a better place.
Alan - alan@luminous-lint.com
My own page on Facebook
If you go to my Facebook page - Alan Griffiths
or search for Luminous-Lint you‘ll join a community of over 4,200 fellow enthusiasts. I‘m finding it useful for keeping everybody updated about what is happening on Luminous-Lint and in the wider world of photography
generally. To everybody who is participating thanks for all your friendship, knowledge and support.
ADDRESS
Want your invitations, catalogs, books and prints to arrive at my place? Well check your address book:
Alan Griffiths
Luminous-Lint
Box 33055
Quinpool RPO
Halifax NS B3L 4T6
CANADA
IMPORTANT: Couriers, such as Fedex and UPS, require a street address and telephone number so send me an email (alan@luminous-lint.com) to obtain further instructions if that is the way you ship.
To get a wider perspective on the topics covered on Luminous-Lint the following links will help. |
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What‘s New on Luminous-Lint |
David Douglas Duncan (1916, 23 January - ) was born - US, MO, Kansas City. American photojournalist, particularly noted for his book ‘This is War‘ that dealt with the Korean War and for his work with Pablo Picasso. A vast archive of his photographs and documents are housed at the Harry Ransom Humanities More...
Helmut Newton (1920, 31 October - 2004, 23 January) died - US, CA, Los Angeles. Fashion and erotic photographer.
Walter Rosenblum (1919, 1 October - 2006, 23 January) died - US. American documentary photographer who served as a combat photographer during the Second World War and landed in Normandy on the morning of D-Day. His social studies of Haiti and the South Bronx in New York are particularly outstanding.
Frederick Sommer (1905, 7 September - 1999, 23 January) died. American photographer and artist who experimented with a variety of techniques and frequently used assemblages of material to create sensuously beautiful images of disturbing subjects. |
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