Modern Times: Photography in Britain 1800–1850
Photographer unknown (England), 'Seated man holding a copy of the Illustrated London News', c. 1850. Hand-painted half-plate daguerreotype in green leather case. Private collection.
LECTURE
Modern Times: Photography in Britain 1800–1850
Friday 17 March 2023
1–2pm
Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre, Weston Library
Free, booking required
This lecture is now fully booked.
About the event
The announcement of photography’s invention in January 1839, first in Paris and then in London, introduced a new power into British life. This new power—derived from photography’s capacity to automatically capture the images created in a camera—was soon being used for every conceivable purpose. The two exhibitions curated by Geoffrey Batchen for the Bodleian Libraries focus on those uses by tracing the development and dissemination of photographic images within Britain during the medium’s first fifty years. By identifying the key themes addressed in the exhibitions, Batchen will show how photography intersected with all aspects of a nascent modernity, helping to make Britain the society it is today.
Speaker
Geoffrey Batchen is the Professor of History of Art at the University of Oxford. His writing about art and photography has featured in numerous journals, books and exhibition catalogues, while his curated exhibitions have been shown in Brazil, Australia, the USA, The Netherlands, Iceland, Great Britain, Germany, Japan and New Zealand. Most recently, he has curated A New Power and Bright Sparks for the Bodleian Libraries.
Booking information
Booking is required for this event. Once you have booked your place, the ticketing system will send you an automated confirmation.
Location
Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG
Wheelchair access
The Weston Library is wheelchair accessible.
Acknowledgements
The Bodleian Libraries Learning Programme is generously supported by The Helen Hamlyn Trust:
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