Long-haired yobs

If you are involved in any profession or creative media for long enough, you are bound to observe and experience transformations over a period of time that profoundly change your chosen employment or occupation. I have been involved with photography for long enough to see many such changes over the years.  Some important milestones I have been fortunate enough to witness first hand, to 'be part of history' so to speak. Not because I was or am particularly important, I have just been around a long time and have become involved. On a number of these occasions the importance of those events did not become obvious until years later.

'Murmurs At Every Turn' by Raymond Moore, 1981

One such was the Raymond Moore exhibition at the Welsh Arts Council in Cardiff in 1968. I attended the opening but I didn't realise at the time that it was the first one-person exhibition of a living photographer organised by an arts council in the UK. It helped to change the status of photography at a crucial time for British photographers. Later he became a very respected photographer and teacher who helped changed attitudes towards photography in the UK. Sadly, since his death his work seems to have dropped off the radar a little, due in part to unseemly legal squabbles over his estate. It should and deserves to be seen more. Apparently, my hardback, signed, first edition copy of one of his books is now worth silly money. 

Creative Camera Owner, October 1967

Another occasion when I was present at an event that changed photography was also a chance happening. Bill Jay was editing the then seminal and evolving 'Creative Camera Owner'. This had changed from a largely amateur publication - 'Camera Owner' and was undergoing the transformation into 'Creative Camera' by stages. Even the size of the words 'creative' and 'owner' on the cover marked that transition. Creative Camera became a unique publication and a respected and influential magazine for many years. I have almost every copy and they are treasured. Bill later founded and edited 'Album' magazine in 1970.

Creative Camera Owner, December 1967

He also organised talks by prominent photographers if they happened to be in London. These, combined with the work to be seen in 'Creative Camera' and 'Album' provided a unique opportunity at that time to both see and hear about great photography by great photographers. Bill somehow persuaded the Royal photographic Society to lend him a room in their London premises for these talks. For a young(ish) photographer like me at the time they were very influential. The talks were well attended by like-minded young photographers, the new generation if you like. 

I would sneak off my work in the photography studio a bit little bit early to catch the train from Cardiff to London, just to attend these evening talks. I would then return on the (very) late overnight 'milk' train, snoozing most of the way to catch up with sleep, to be back and working at the studio by 8am. It was clear however that many at the RPS were not too happy about hosting these. I can't remember who the speaker was that night but the keen and expectant audience, many like me had also travelled a long way, were waiting in a corridor and there was some mix-up with the room. A very irritated and impatient grey suited RPS official really didn't like all these eager young people cluttering up the premises even though they had come to hear, see and learn about great photography. (Because of my involvement in photography education in future years, I happen to know that many in that audience went on to become world-leading photographers). He shooed us away as if we were dirty farm animals that had strayed on to his neatly manicured lawn and uttered the immortal words that changed the influence of that organisation on British photography for ever. "Get these long-haired yobs out of my corridor". 

First edition of 'Album' edited by Bill Jay

With nowhere to host these well-attended talks Bill Jay approached the Institute of Contemporary Arts in the Mall, London, who immediately offered a free room. The popularity of these talks and the enthusiasm for this exciting new wave of British photography was noticed by a young curator there - Sue Davies. She responded to this by founding the Photographers' Gallery and the rest, as they say, is history. The RPS is now (and was then) a total irrelevance and the Photographers' Gallery continues to flourish and influence.