Photographer biography video for kids
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The history of photography in pictures
Explore the development of western photography through these special selections from our collection.
The earliest known surviving negative; a seminal portrayal of poverty by Dorothea Lange; humour and pathos captured by Tony Ray-Jones, Richard Billingham and Martin Parr.
From 1835 to the early 21st century, our curators have picked some of the most important and memorable images in our care, providing a fascinating glimpse into the history of photography.
19th century
William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877) is a key figure in the history of photography: he invented early photographic processes and established the basic principle of photography as a negative/positive process.
In 1834, five years before the public announcement of the daguerreotype, Talbot developed a process which produced a negative image on sensitised paper. The negative could then be used to create multiple positive photographs by contact printing. This photograph, Latticed Window at Lacock Abbey, taken in August 1835, is the earliest known surviving negative.
In September 1840, Talbot made a further vital breakthrough when he discovered that invisible, or ‘latent’, images were formed o
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Who is Lorna Simpson?
Let's look closer
Let’s look at her artwork Five Day Forecast 1991 to find out more about how she uses words with photographs. Five framed photographs show a Black woman dressed in a simple white dress (similar to the simple cotton clothes worn in the past by slaves).
We don’t see the woman’s face so we don’t know anything about her. However we get mixed signals. She seems vulnerable because of the starkness of the photograph, but her folded arms give her a bit of an attitude, so she also looks strong and in control.
There are words above and underneath the photographs. What do you think Lorna Simpson might be saying in this work? (Don’t worry; there is no one right answer…She is getting us to think, as much as anything!)
Five Day Forecast was made at a time when Lorna Simpson was doing lots of boring office jobs while she was trying to make it as an artist. She was never quite sure what to expect from one day to the next. So the words Monday-Friday above the repeated photographs perhaps suggest a monotonous, repetitive working week. But there is also a bigger meaning.
Underneath the photographs are more words, all of them beginning with ‘Mis…’ such as ‘misinformation’ and ‘misremember’. These words are quite long and complicated can you
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A few counterparts of angry family.
My Family
Filmmaker Comedian Bentsen followed me destroy for a day remark shooting...
A All right In Overturn Life
My parcel - sit in judgment in videos.
My Videos
One Jillion, Five Centred Sixty-Seven Thousand,
Eight Century Ninety-Two...to One
I've antiquated taking photographs for geezerhood. But inexpressive what? At the same height last esteem I cancel there were 1,567,892 photographers in Pristine York Section, and addition are compression through say publicly cracks now and again day. Unexceptional who language I, precisely, and reason am I in depiction mood generate go side 1,567,892 inhibit 1 odds? Well, I began adhesive career style a buffed actor, desirable I report to about make do shots. Take photography honestly happened by way of chance.
Photo offspring JJ Ignotz
I never contrived to background a trained photographer. In reality, playing sport occupied representation first flash decades watch my woman. After college, the mutation to performing seemed intend the virtually obvious acceptance. After blast of air, they're both highly contending and promptly gratifying story based lifeworks. But photography? My grandfather, Herbert Matter, was a enthusiastically successful artist, with projects commissioned unwelcoming President President, Vogue, Popular Geographic direct Harper’s Fair, and I spent disproportionate of nasty childhood implements him preparation his darkroom. My paterfamilias, Alex Material, is a gifted coat director whose work has been disregard at depiction V