Here is a small selection from works on show in Romantic Camera. Select the OPEN links to read more about a work, and select the image to enlarge it.
about 1920
Buckham had crashed nine times before he was discharged from the Royal Naval Air Service as a hundred per cent disabled. Continuing to indulge his passion for aerial photography, he wrote that 'If one's right leg is tied to the seat with a scarf or a piece of rope, it is possible to work in perfect security'. Presumably these were the perilous conditions in which the photographer took this dazzling picture of Edinburgh.
about 1845
This image demonstrates the complexity of Hill's compositions. It is a joke about his own hangover and a warning about the after-effects of unreasonable alcohol consumption, from which the Roman bust appears to be turning away in disgust. Hill's wrist is held by the surgeon and anatomist, Professor James Miller, who stares reproachfully at the embarrassed artist. From letters we know that Hill liked his ale and frequented literary and artistic gatherings where 'the wit and intelligence improved with the quantity of drink and the lateness of the hour'.
1890
This photograph was taken on Ben Vorlich, a mountain to the north of Loch Lomond. Its sombre, introspective mood is typical for this period of Annan?s work and the result of his skilled use of the photogravure technique. Over the years, the subject matter of this image has been interpreted in different ways. Soon after its first publication in 1895, it was thought to refer to the Old Testament, in which Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. In 1901, another critic read into it: "Dantesque dreams, ideas of massive, awful grandeur, unknown threatening dangers". By 1986 the image was described as a Romantic landscape in the tradition of the painter Caspar David Friedrich.
Negative taken 14 February 1958, print made 1989
Children are the trickiest of human subjects to photograph, because of their energy and restlessness. Yet Roger Mayne established his reputation during the 1950s and `60s as one of the most sophisticated street photographers of children. This vivacious photograph was taken in the Gorbals in Glasgow, a predominantly working class neighbourhood on the south bank of the Clyde with a reputation for roughness and high crime rates. Traditionally, the area housed a large number of Irish immigrants, and the name comes from `Gort a' Bhaile?, or `famine of the farm?. Slum clearances in the nineteenth century did little to improve the area, but more recent efforts, including the demolition of the infamous Queen Elizabeth Square flats, have lowered crime rates and increased property value.
1858 or before
This photograph was featured in the book `Picturesque ?bits? from Old Edinburgh?, published in 1868. It comprises several photographs by Burns alongside descriptive and historical texts by Thomas Henderson. This work highlights the typical living conditions of Edinburgh?s old town at this time ? with overcrowding and poor sanitation prevalent. The scene was chosen, according to Henderson, ?to show the earliest form of timber-fronted houses?. Despite acting as a documentary record, this photograph also displays a beautiful and almost mystical quality. The ghostly apparitions of figures at windows and walking along the Cowgate, creates a sense of foreboding which anticipates the demolition of these buildings following the 1871 Act of Improvement.
1994
For over ten years Catriona Grant has worked with her mother and her aunt. Here she raises the question of how women of their age are seen by society: 'After pension age, women are expected to take on a very pedestrian role, to become almost invisible.' The picture reveals how unfounded the cliché is: the cow, which nurtures with milk, has become an insult, where it might as easily have been a compliment to maturity and strength. Think of the holy Indian cow!
![In 2004, Mark Neville spent a year as artist in residence in Port Glasgow, a town confronting in concentrated form the hardship of Scotland?s post-industrial decline. His stay resulted in a photographic book which he then distributed free as a gift to the community. This image featured on the front cover of the book and quickly took on an iconic status. The book, according to the Greenock Telegraph, caused a ?sensation?, as locals expressed both their disgust and appreciation. It revealed, in the words of one respondent, that ?we [Portonians] like a good party?. With the project, Neville sought to reignite the potential of the documentary tradition. Photography, he insists, can and should be shared.](http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media/42/collection/PGP 420.1.jpg)
2005
In 2004, Mark Neville spent a year as artist in residence in Port Glasgow, a town confronting in concentrated form the hardship of Scotland?s post-industrial decline. His stay resulted in a photographic book which he then distributed free as a gift to the community. This image featured on the front cover of the book and quickly took on an iconic status. The book, according to the Greenock Telegraph, caused a ?sensation?, as locals expressed both their disgust and appreciation. It revealed, in the words of one respondent, that ?we [Portonians] like a good party?. With the project, Neville sought to reignite the potential of the documentary tradition. Photography, he insists, can and should be shared.
1963
The 'Castlemilk Lads' is one of Marzaroli's best known photographs. Shot on one of the growing housing estates on the outskirts of Glasgow during the 1950s, it speaks of a city altered by town planners beyond all recognition. The provocative stare of three of the boys and the angst of the one looking away, give us a clear idea about the unfriendly environment which they inhabit.
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