Research can take us to some odd places but a perfect English village on a perfect summer’s day was not a bad result at Lacock Abbey where I was parked up and fuelled by a stiff Americano before the gates had even opened for Sunday’s demonstrations of early photography. Of course I’d visited Lacock before, including once since … Continue reading Only connect: sun and chemistry at Lacock
Since my visit to Dimbola I’ve been thinking it’s time I got a bit more hands-on with the whole notion of early photography, or any kind of pre-digital developing and printing. I mean I once knew a novelist whose research involved learning to fly, a bit of dark room photography can’t be so hard! Luckily … Continue reading Cameras – in Lacock, Bristol and Kabul
Some small incidents have a way of living on in our lives. When I was a trainee in the fabulous Bodleian Library (many moons ago!) I was sent one day to rescue items that had suffered water damage and the items turned out to be photograph albums (you’d be amazed what has found its way … Continue reading The Black Art on the Isle of Wight – Julia Margaret Cameron
Sir David Brewster photographed by Hill and Adamson Today the St. Andrews trip goes a long way back in time, in fact to 1838, when Sir David Brewster arrived to be Principal of St. Andrews University. By this time Brewster, originally trained in theology, was already an eminent man of science who had become famous chiefly … Continue reading B is for … Brewster
These writing obsessions take us to strange places. I thought I’d missed my chance ever to see Sun Worshippers, shown on BBC Scotland in 2002, but in a moment of enthusiasm I contacted Caledonia films who still had it in their vaults and were able to send me a copy. I watched it last night. … Continue reading Fun in the Sun
Ali Bacon / Books Etc 