George Bernard Shaw and Photography

[Steven Tribe]

There doesn't seem to be anything here, I searched!

He made over 10,000 photographic images, which are coming on-line (London School of Economics) this year. He was given quite a write-up + images in my local (Danish) newspapers to-day and there was something in the Guardian (UK) last Autumn.

His Polymath tendancies stretched to Art and Photography as an art form. He wrote a lot on Photography. I knew that he was avid amateur photographer.

What I didn't know was that he was active well back in the 19 C. He followed the traditional path of starting with 8x10 wetplate and eventually finished up with a Leica in the 30's.

I can find lots of "Oscar Wilde" type quotes about his views of Photography but nothing subtantial about his views on the style development he must seen though the 65 years he was active?

And does anyone know anything about the equipment he used over these years?

[Mark Sampson]

Look up Alvin Langdon Coburn. They were friends and colleagues; GBS promoted the young and little-known Coburn, and ALC photographed him several times for his book 'Men of Mark'. Which should be required reading for all the soft-focus/neo-pictorialists on this forum.

[Steven Tribe]

Not that available at a reasonable price! Prices at Abebooks range up to $10,000. This later was the author's dedicated copy to this wife! Apparently no reprints after the 1922 edition.

[Heroique]

He made over 10,000 photographic images, which are coming on-line (London School of Economics) this year.

I’m eager to see these photographs. I’ve seen a handful – one senses Shaw’s dramatic finesse in his photographs, often containing bold, Caravaggioesque treatments of light. I recall some self-portraits in candle light.

I’ve found what I think is his earliest reference to his darkroom work. In a letter dated Nov. 16, 1890 – written to Ernest Rhys (founder of Everyman’s Library) – Shaw encloses one of his prints and says, “The only other one I have to spare is a good photo; but the results of processing it the other day in a Northumberland paper were unspeakable.”

A polymath indeed – GBS was our greatest drama critic, our greatest music critic, our greatest letter writer, our greatest dramatist. I’ll stop there, before I start exaggerating. He was a force of nature.

Below, Shakespeare seeks a few tips from his master.

[Justin Cormack]

Does the LSE own the original pictures then? Not seen any. Does the V&A have any?

His music criticism is very fine. And the plays.

Yes Coburn's books are expensive now. I have one photogravure but cant afford a book

[John Kasaian]

Shaw works, what I've seen of them, always made me sad---a lot of "up front" but no bricks and mortar behind the facade. Perhaps his photographs are better. I'd certainly like to see some.
He could certainly grow a cool beard! :D

[Heroique]

Does the LSE own the original pictures then?

Not sure about ownership of Shaw’s photos, but his connection w/ the London School of Economics could not be stronger – he co-founded it in the 1890’s.

What’s more, the LSE’s Shaw Library is named after him. It’s located in the school’s Old Building. Inside, you can see “The Fabian Window,” a stained glass window design by the man. His presence at the LSE is not only felt, but seen.

BTW, one of Shaw’s great non-dramatic works is titled The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism – a splendid and entertaining primer on basic economic themes. Penguin Publishers thought so highly of the work, they re-issued it as the very first book in their Pelican series (1937).

Glad the LSE is presenting his little-known photographic work.

[Mark Sampson]

I have two sources for the Coburn/Shaw connection. First, the book 'Alvin Langdon Coburn, photographer- an autobiography', edited by Helmut & Alison Gernsheim. Faber & Faber, 1966. (It may have been reprinted since then.) And second, an exhibition catalogue. "A.L. Coburn's Men of Mark, Pioneers of Modernism". Published by the Mark Twain House & Museum (recently, no publication date.) There is an ISBN number; 0-9740969-0-3. I found the 'Autobiography' for sale in a local used bookstore last year, and I picked up the Twain Museum 'Men of Mark' from the bargain table at the George Eastman House bookstore, also in the last year. Both of these books refer to GBS; Coburn's nude portrait of Shaw posing as Rodin's 'Thinker' is the cover image of the Twain museum book, which is a beautifully-printed overview of the whole era. I'd recommend both books as necessary to anyone interested in Shaw's photography, or in the portraiture of Edwardian times.

[Justin Cormack]

There is some info here http://www2.lse.ac.uk/library/archive/news/man_and_cameraman.aspx

It seems that the photographs were owned by the National Trust, but were given to the LSE library. He took 24,000 photographs.

[Steven Tribe]

The real link to the project is further down the page.

[Jeremy Moore]

Shaw wrote a number of articles for Camera Work and was a close friend of Frederick Evans.

We actually have an album of platinum prints for a dress rehearsal for a Shaw play taken by Evans here at the University of North Texas.