Each part of the photo-community can help in a variety of ways
Collectors and connoisseurs
For the collectors who own photographs and related materials I would like to hear from you. I am continually seeking to improve the images and texts on this site. Many collectors prepare exhibitions about their own areas of interest and illustrate them with photographs and ephemera from their own collections - this enriches our overall knowledge of photography and you may well be the only expert.
Photo-curators
The level of information we can include on individual institutions will vary depending on the level of involvement of the institution concerned and its objectives.
To start with I would suggest:
Contact information
Logo
Names, roles and contact details of key staff - if appropriate
Description of the institution with an emphasis on its photographic collections and interests
Exterior and interior photographs of the building(s) involved
A listing of photography-related exhibitions with start and end dates, titles and any descriptive information
Publication listings of exhibition catalogues and monographs
There are many ways that we can work together to improve the coverage, depth and interconnections on this website. We should seek to ensure global coverage, replicate significant exhibitions, encourage content peer review, and select artists where the longer term creation of online catalogue raisonné will be of benefit to the entire community.
At time restrictions make it difficult, if not impossible, to show works by certain photographers or those held by rights agencies and corporations and we all know who I'm talking about. Where you have relationships with artists, estates and collectors who can provide access to material please assist where you can.
If you have prepared biographies and are able to share them with the wider community please send them through. You retain all rights and will be fully credited. You may well be the only person that has researched a particular person, genre or region and you will assist us all and your older exhibition catalogues and books may provide a wealth of material. As the website evolves we will put out calls for information where we have specific gaps.
There are areas within this project where volunteers can make a tremendous difference and if you have students and volunteers available we can establish joint data collection and research priorities.
The longer term data and financial security issues of the the research and archival sections of this project need to be addressed to protect it as an ongoing and rapidly evolving archive for the entire photo-community and I'm happy to discuss these issues with interested parties. alan@luminous-lint.com
Photo-historians
I am always interested in receiving recommendations from photo-historians from any part of the world on 19th century or early 20th century photographers and significant photography-related individuals that deserve to be included.
If you have a suggestion for an online exhibition that could be included I'm also interested and there are a wide range of images available that could be used to provide examples.
Gallery owners and photography dealers
Most galleries and dealers for 19th century materials and many handling more recent material are involved in this project and throughout this website their contributions are highlighted. If you acquire a significant portfolio or series please let us know so we can create an exhibition. If you would like to participate or advertise please send me an email.
Educators
I am also interested in hearing from educators on materials and tools that they would find helpful in teaching photographic history to different levels of students. As this project evolves multi-level learning paths will be integrated and I'd be interested in examining any course packs, lesson plans and reading lists on the history of photography. The extent of the resources available on this website means we can create remarkable educational aids for your own students and the broader community.
Photographers and artists
I rarely accept submissions from photographers and photo-media based artists however I'm always interested in expanding our knowledge of the work of those already included and
are available.
There is an increasing trend for artists to be managed by galleries and agents who, on occasion, are not forthcoming with information or example works. This website is a major resource used by curators, collectors, critics and connoisseurs and I would be grateful if you could ensure that examples of your work are included.
At a general level you can also help with:
Suggestions
In order for me to assign priorities it is helpful to get suggestions on what you would like to see included.
Publicity
If you have newsletters or resource listings on your own website please include a link to www.luminous-lint.com. The more feedback this website gets the quicker it will improve.
Corrections
This site is the work of one person and the over 4,500 people and organisations who have assisted and things will inevitably slip by so let me know if you come across spelling or grammatical mistakes, factual errors or omissions. Where there are differing opinions on issues we will highlight them.
Many thanks for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you,
