Photography at the Science Museum -Drawn by Light & Make Life Worth Living

Perhaps a little out of character but Science Museum has a couple of great exhibitions within covering photography -they're  worth a visit if you get the chance and are on until well into 2015.

Although the 'Drawn by Light costs £8 for entry it does seem to offer something quite special using the archives of the National Photography Collection it offers something a bit special, amongst the pictures on show there's just enough detail to make it interesting without being a labour.

An image not looking 101 years old

Quite struck by the picture used in the publicity - I thought fairly contemporary in fact 101 years old the nature of the girl and the fact that it's in striking colour is misleading - and it was taken by engineer Mervyn O' Gorman  

Other slightly 'left field elements include

 The revealing 'Portraits of Patients (1852)' by Dr Hugh Welch Diamond (patients with mental illness)

The staggering 'Majestic Solitude' by Long Chin San


and

the iconic A Fire Guard (1944) by John Hinde (to me it looks a bit like 'Carry On' regular  Charles Hawtrey)



For the scientific angle there's some great examples of early colour photography and the Pre-Polaroid Dubroni instant pictures takes some getting your head around - all in all a very nice show.

Nick Hughes and Shelter.

After looking at The Drawn  by light I was pulled towards the nearby (and surprising to see in the Science Museum) selection of Photographs that are  the 'Make Life Worth Living' display amazing that people lived so poorly in the UK (and perhaps still do) so recently.

Nick Hedges should feel happy (in some ways)  with what his work shows - it's revealing and shaming.

Makes you wonder how we could have the uncaring government we now have - powerful stuff and free to view so you have no excuse.