By IW Galleries
Photography has played a crucial role in how we understand and look at the past. Many of us don’t think about photography as it has become so ingrained in our everyday social and cultural life, but this wasn’t always the case.
During the Victorian era, having a photograph taken was only reserved for those who had the means to afford to, and even then usually only for a special occasion. Photographers too, were often gentlemen and women with the money and time to buy the equipment, and learn how to process and develop the images. These early photographers recorded what they found interesting in everyday life, which today can help us look at and understand the past in a new light.
Carisbrooke Castle Museum has thousands of photographs in its collection, from formal Victorian portraiture through to contemporary photographs showing the ever-changing face of our towns and villages. Many images have been taken by amateurs, but there are lots of photographs attributed to the many working photographers on the Island including Brading and Cantelo, Kirk, Debenham, and the Royal Photographers of Hughes and Mullins. This visual record of the Isle of Wight and its people can allow us to see how people lived and worked, and discover forgotten buildings and events.
This theme will be explored in an Insight session at Carisbrooke Castle Museum from 2pm to 4pm on Tuesday, March 24.
Mike Osborne, a volunteer at Carisbrooke Castle Museum and a photographer and researcher, will talk about the role of photography in the collection, including how images are researched, how dates can be found, and what they can tell us about our past.
To book your places e-mail info@carisbrookecastlemuseum.org.uk or ring (01983) 523112. Booking is essential. Tickets cost £8 and include refreshments.
Isle of Wight Observer