So there were also pictures from Gustave Le Gray and early portraits by pioneer photographers including Nadar.
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| Salt and Silver |
The 'Salt and Silver' relates to the chemical process that allowed fixing of images but this was a display at an Art museum bringing to life a time when the limits were not yet set- the lack of an enlargement facility was significant but artistic composition was clearly a goal - all worth a look if you've ever done more than just taken a snap.
Tidy time
Yesterday I made a start on clearing a load of paperwork - largely course working from some years back that are of little use or which can be found within other sources - came across this which I think was a preliminary exercise associated with my Mass Media MA:-
Hopefully not too pretentious (I've not edited it to make it look any better!)
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| So much rubbish being thrown out |
Media Memoirs
It is difficult sometimes to draw the line between one's own recollections of the past and that which is given to one by one's family and friends
Books.
I believe
that I was later in learning to read than my (single) older brother
whether or not this was due to my not having the earlier start at
school that my brother did I am not clear-I know that when I had
mastered (or mastered enough to give me the required enjoyment to
make the effort worthwhile) I was a fairly voracious reader (as I
believe is still the case) -my reading (when not directed by school)
was lowbrow and I remember spending my pocket money largely on the
works of Enid Blyton I also remember that I was "allowed" a
weekly comic (a very "British" one - these having text
below a picture rather than speech "bubbles" and
indications of time & scene at the top of the picture as in the
"American" style) I am not sure if this was called "Play
hour" or something like that -I am told by my brother (although
I have no firm recollection of it myself) that I had my comic changed
when my father had a story published in what was a rival publication
to my normal one. Another feast of comics was when holiday-going Isle of Wight and getting bumper 2s 6d (that's about 12p) package full of old comics.
I also
remember a feast of less worthy comics (Beano Topper etc..) that I was
able to view when I visited my Maternal Grandparents (Grandfather a
railway train driver) these were handed on to my grandparents by
their neighbours for her grandchildren's edification. My
recollections of Newspaper are more difficult to pin down we always
took the "Daily Telegraph" and the Sunday Express my first
use of the "Telegraph I remember is seeing what was on TV, I was
also more enthusiastic when it provided (on Friday) a magazine
Radio
Out of both a "technical" inclination (my father was an electronics engineer) an excitement at both the wave of Beatle generated pop excitement and the new "Pirate" radio (I think this concept in itself would be exciting to a pre-teenager) radio was very important - my father constructed a "crystal" set at an early stage for my amusement and I received my first "transistor" radio as a seventh birthday present - radio has seemed to be always present and important - Radio was both a shared and a private pleasure -I recall Mrs. Dale's Diary and most certainly the "Top 20".
Television
In some
ways my recollections of TV are more difficult to pin down than with
other avenues of
entertainment/information -I think this is partly due to the fact
that TV (perhaps
because of its large requirement for product) repeats so much-I remember watching
Batman on TV but now become confused with watching it as an amusement
in later
life. I remember having tempers etc. with my mother for not being
able to watch 'Man from
Uncle' or 'Mission Impossible' but now recall having seen Mission
Impossible (very
recently ) at the cinema.
The items
of TV which will stay with me are probably things like the Moonwalk and
England World cup 1966.
An
interesting Phenomena which I have encountered as have many others)
is the juncture between
colour & black and white - sometimes surprising what we thought
we saw in Colour but saw in Black & White.
Also the
programmes which I remember watching on my return from school -
Crossroads (then show about 4:25 p.m.) and Blue Peter -I think then
there was a certain animosity/snobbishness against imported
programmes and a belief that BBC was preferable to commercial TV.
Thursday was always important for TOTP (probably for more years than
I care to admit)
Cinema
Cinema for me growing up was a rare treat (probably less than 4 films a year until the age
of 18),
this was due to expense, geographic location & the decline of
cinema in the 60's &
70's
having said that I remember seminal (for me) films Dr. Who and
Beatles also Jungle
book, in a
way Cinema is an enjoyment that has grown with me over the years and
is now
(perhaps
partly due to the time I have spent out of the UK) more of a shared
experience
with my
peer group than TV (or other media).
Cinema
also has the attraction of being watched in "uniform &
controlled " conditions it is probably
being watched by other friends in similar conditions and once the
film begins the lack of
external stimulation and restriction on one's behaviour leads to the
greatest suspension
of belief of any media.
It is
worth noting that Cinema is more likely to bring tears or whatever
than other media (even
seeing the same film on TV the effect is greatly diluted).
Many
people are aware of the feeling (temporary on leaving the Cinema
after a Clint
Eastwood"
type film.
The effect
of film while strong seems in most ways more discountable and less
insidious - we can
feel the effect go as we leave the cinema and return to the real
world.
Media
remains a very important part of my life - (partly because it has
been my employer for most of my working life) - it is interesting to
note the enjoyment which comes at first hand and that which is merely
evocative (like cheap perfume etc.) of a previous time and occasion.
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