Early Photography Workshop

Inspired by our exhibition, Soldiers and Suffragettes, join artist and historic photography expert, Jo Gane, to learn about early photography and try your hand using pinhole techniques!

Christina Broom is now hailed as a pioneer for women press photographers in the UK. Her work documented a generation; recording arresting images of suffrage activity, leading topical sports and royal occasions and poignant, insightful pictures over the course of the First World War. When she started out she was a novice, using a second hand camera and a make shift dark room in her coal cellar. Yet, even early on, her compositions, approach and the access she obtained for subjects distinguished her from her contemporaries proving that photography doesn’t require expensive cameras. Jo Gane will give a short introduction to early photographic processes and then lead participants in making their own pinhole box cameras for an afternoon of photographic experiment.

Workshop outline and details:

2:00pm - 2:30pm: Welcome and short introduction to early photographic processes
2:30pm - 3:30pm: Make your own pinhole box camera
3:30pm - 5:30pm: Use your camera to experiment and create negative images on silver gelatin photo paper. Learn how to process and develop your own pictures using both darkroom and modern smartphone techniques.

All materials included* and all cameras and photographic creations can be taken away at the end of the session.

Participants will be able to experiment with cameras both within the Museum of London Docklands and on the streets of the Isle of Dogs around the museum.

*For the smartphone element of the session you will be need to bring along your own smartphone.