New York’s place in the history of photography

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The Hidden History of Photography and New York – The New York Times

Although I’m interested in many different things, I suppose my two main interests are photography and history so I was pleased to find this informative article. I was not familiar with much of the information in it e.g. Samuel Morse’s role in introducing photography into the US.

Morse’s early introduction to the daguerreotype was just the first of many firsts that New Yorkers claim in the medium’s nascent history. New York City was not only the birthplace of American photography, but also the setting for some of its most substantial early commercial and technological developments.

Source: The Hidden History of Photography and New York – The New York Times

2017 World Press Awards Photo of the Year

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The photgraph below has just been named the Photo of the Year by the 2017 World Press Awards.

World Press Photo of the Year: Burhan. Source: 2017 Photo Contest | World Press Photo

For the NY Times’s take see: The World’s Best Photo?

While it’s certainly a very powerful picture and the photographer deserves considerable credit for maintaining his cool in an extremely dangerous situation, I not convinced that this deserves to take first prize. Certainly it deserves an award, but perhaps not first prize.

The photographer was already there, with his camera presumably at the ready. Yes, he could certainly have ‘done a runner’ (which is what I probably would have done), but he didn’t, remaining to get the shot. However, the story the picture tells is all too common: crazy person with gun kills someone. OK, in this case the victim was someone of significance, but the message remains. Unfortunately, it happens all the time (particularly in the US).

I much prefer the picture below, which to me tells a much more complex story of downtrodden people; over militarized police; remaining calm in the face of pressure etc. Although we don’t know the end of the story here I like to think that it’s a positive one, whereas in the picture above it’s overwhelmingly negative.

Taking a Stand in Baton Rouge by Jonathan Bachmann. Source: 2017 Photo Contest | World Press Photo

To conclude I find that I must take exception to the New York Times headline: “The World’s Best Photo?” World’s best NEWS photo – maybe? There are, however, lots of genres other than news: landscape; wildlife; portrait; documentary; street etc. etc. I don’t think you can declare a photograph as ‘World’s Best’ unless you take them all into consideration, which the Times certainly does not attempt to do in this article.

Greatest photobooks of all time

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“Trolly – New Orleans”, 1955. The photo, part of Frank’s groundbreaking volume “The Americans”, was taken our days after an encounter with the police in Arkansas that darkened this artistic viewpoint. From the New York Times, July 5 2015

Interesting take on lists in general and lists of photobooks specifically from Blake Andrews on ‘B‘. I have four of the top fifteen (including the No.1, ‘The Americans’). I’d never heard of many of them (including the No. 2, ‘Evidence’). Many of them now cost more than I would be willing to pay for them so I’ll have to content myself with looking at the images online.

Source: 17 Greatest Photobooks of All time.

Presidential inauguration

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Source: This is the oldest known photograph of a Presidential inauguration – DIY Photography

No. Not the one taking place today. This one is much older (160 years to be precise):

And, in 1857, the first known photograph of a Presidential Inauguration was captured.

This image, seen above, was taken by John Wood, who worked for the Architect of the Capitol under Montgomery C. Meigs. According to a presentation given by Wayne Firth (retired Senior photographer at the Architect of the Capitol) in 1996 at the National Building Museum at the U.S. Capitol, Meigs, who was in charge of the construction of the Capitol at the time, hired Wood as a “photographic draftsman” for the building of the Capitol. His job was to photograph the drawings of the construction so they could be easily duplicated.

During Wood’s tenure at the Capitol, his job grew. And, when Meigs was put in charge of constructing a platform for the Inauguration ceremony, he also constructed a platform for Wood to set up his camera and photograph the inauguration of James Buchanan on March 4, 1857.
Photographer Wood would eventually leave his post at the Architect of the Capitol and go on to photograph in the Civil War. According to the Library of Congress, Wood worked for the Architect of the Capitol from 1856 to 1861 and then moved onto photographing maps in the war for Gen. George McClellan.

Little is known of his later life and works, but his legacy will live on forever with this photo.

Source: This is the first known photography ever taken at a presidential inauguration.

For fans of Downton Abbey

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An exterior shot of the grand property that later became ‘Downton Abbey’. Its owner’s help in discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun with archaeologist Howard Carter in Egypt in 1922 that he was best known for.

This is what the real Downton Abbey i.e. Hiclere Castle in Hampshire, UK looked like in 1895. I particularly liked the interior shots. For example:

The drawing room at Highclere Castle. Robert Ansell, a specialist at Lawrences, said: ‘These fascinating images of Highclere Castle offer a rare glimpse into the life of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and his circle’.

Rare photographs of the ‘real’ Downton Abbey in Hampshire and its owners the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, and his wife Almina Herbert, from 1895, have been unearthed.

Source: Incredible photographs show the REAL Downton Abbey