THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART IN WALES - The Pioneers
Swansea University, Wales, UK.
9-12 August 2005
Supported by the Royal Institution of South Wales, City and County of
Swansea, the Gower Society, the Llysdinam Trust and the Historical Group of
the Royal Photographic Society.
Wales's place in the history of photography has never before been looked at
in any detail. This conference is the first ever event to look at those
famous pioneering names of photography who either lived or worked in the
country and especially round Swansea in south Wales. Henry Fox Talbot, the
discoverer of the negative/positive process had Welsh relations and for a
time lived with them at their family home, Penrice. His cousin, Emma
Thomasina Talbot, married John Dillwyn Llewelyn, a founder Council member of
the Photographic Society of London, now the Royal Photographic Society.
John's sister Mary Dillwyn was an accomplished photographer as was John's
daughter Thereza who married yet another pioneer Nevil Story Maskelyne. An
album of photographs by Thereza and Mary was recently bought by the National
Library of Wales for an astronomical price. Even Calvert Richard Jones was
distantly related to the Llewelyn's. Others of distinction who visited were
Antoine Claudet, with whom Llewelyn was carrying out daguerreotype
experiments and Philip Delamotte, a friend of many years. Other local
notables include John Wheeley Gutch, and Bridges, another member of the
Talbot and Llewelyn circle, not to mention many amateurs who were also
within this circle of friends and relations. Even the first editor of the
Journal of the Photographic Society of London was a visitor to Swansea. Also
included is a new look at Roger Fenton, Secretary of the Photographic
Society of London, who visited south Wales for photographic purposes.
Included in the programme is a visit to Swansea Museum to see a special
exhibition of images and artifacts relating to the photographers represented
in the conference, and for those attending all the sessions, a visit to
Penrice where Henry Talbot spent many of his teenage years.
Details of the programme and a booking form may be found on www.risw.org.uk
For any further information do please contact myself - by e-mail preferably!
Richard Morris FRPS
Ty'r Gwynt
Port Eynon
Swansea SA3 1NL
UK.
01792 390242
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