Tag Archives: Victorian Photography

Black and white photography, Somerset

Julia Margaret Cameron Day at Bridgwater College

We would like to invite you to our first art and design theme day on Saturday August 29th in the Arts and Media block at Bridgwater College from 10.30am until 3.30pm.

grafic pen emailWe will be celebrating the bi centenary of pioneering photographer Julia Margaret Cameron’s birth by making portraits using equipment and processes Cameron would have used in the mid Victorian period. Cameron’s art contemporaries will be recognised by interpretive painting and drawing that will run alongside. The growth of interest in retro photo processes is something of a current phenonimum. At Bridgwater College we already include a number of these across our existing provision and are now extending this further especially as part of our adult courses. We look forward to seeing you on the 29th any point during the day as the process will be continuous, and please do bring a friend with you. If you are unable to come please feel free to pass this invitation on to anyone who maybe interested in experiencing a day of live photo history.

Black and white photography, Somerset

MAYOR OF TAUNTON TRIES HIS HAND AT 19th CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHY

mayor and camera and Sam Burton

(Above Mayor & Mayoress of Taunton and Sam with the old camera)

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Taunton based photographer Sam Burton opened his Somerset Arts Week exhibition at Bishops Lydyard Station with a demonstration of how photographs were made in the early days of the medium. Using a mobile darkroom and an antique bellows camera Sam made what are quite likely to be the first wet processed photographs at the location since the practice was common in 19th century. A photographer would have used a horse drawn wagon as a mobile darkroom and produced images on sensitized paper or glass, as technology progressed the practise died out by the start of the 20th century. Mayor (Dave Durdan) and Mayoress came along to open an exhibition of Sam photographs telling the story of a day in the life of West Somerset Railway engine driver Alan (Alan Dorrington) and to take part in the workshop by having their portraits made and processed. The mayor commented (Its just unbelievable to see this process take place.)

MAYOR OF TAUNTON BOTH

(Mayor of Taunton developed as a negative and converted to a positive ) Some 70 people attended the launch at the small museum and a steam locomotive and the Victorian sleeping carriage were open for tours.

Alan 1 POS(Alan the driver had his photo taken ) 

Sam’s exhibition will run until October 5th open daily from 10am-4pm at Bishops Lydeard Station Museum on platform 1, TA4 3RU

A FULL GALLERY OF IMAGES TAKEN ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL BE UPLOADED LATER THIS WEEK.

The exhibition is completely free.- Kindly supported by ‘The Golsoncott Foundation’

Directions: 

Follow signs for A358 and once you get to Bishops Lydeard follow the brown signs for West Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard, the station is not in the village itself but is off the main road. The exhibition is in the Gauge Museum on platform 1.

More details on www.zummerzetphotography.co.uk and more of Sam’s work at www.exposure47.com