Transfer of Bradford Photography Collection

[Jim Taylor]

...But why is one of the most important photography collections in the world housed in a museum categorised as being a science museum. doesn't make sense to me.

You must remember that from when it opened in 1983 until 2006, what is now the National Media Museum went by the name "The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television".

RobC, I can't think of a more appropriate museum to house a photographic archive than this. I've just finished a collaboration with them connected to their recent "horrible science" event and whilst I accept that they now come under the umbrella of the Science Museum Group, their roots are still very much in photography and media creation/dissemination. It follows that as the photographic world changes, so to does the need for them to respond to those changes - they cite this here as one of the reasons for the name change in 2006.

It seems like you're relying on an outdated and (for whatever reason) jaded view of the NMM as a reason to move things to the V&A in London. Since it has come under the auspices of the science museum group, the NMM has seriously improved the quality of its exhibits and accessibility to collections.

Using your logic, I'm expecting an announcement any day now that "Mallard" is to be moved from the National Railway Museum in York and plonked outside St. Pancras station, because then it's in London and that "The Power Hall" from the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester will be re-built brick-by-brick next door to the Tower of London.

It's not all about London - there's a great big country with loads to offer once you step outside of the M25.

 

[RobC]

I made a special trip to visit the National Film and media museum years ago and it was pure shite. There were a handful of photos worth seeing on show. I would never go again. AND the RPS collection is a recent addition for them and nothing to do with their cultural heritage which people have been claiming. Most of the museum was television cameras and TV studio equipment when I went. It was not worth visiting in any way, shape or form. I don't give a damn what they are trying to claim now becasue they'll say anytihing to tell us how great they are but my experience says otherwise.
I went to the Lowry gallery in Salford and that was definitely worth visiting. But not the media museum in Bradford. And since its going to science I would definitely not have the RPS collection there. And the York railway museum was very impressive and deserves to be there.

 

[Jim Taylor]

It was not worth visiting in any way, shape or form. I don't give a damn what they are trying to claim now becasue they'll say anytihing to tell us how great they are but my experience says otherwise.

Fair point - no-one can argue with your opinion.

Despite my previous tuppence worth, when I was working with them on the aforementioned collaboration, I discussed this point with one of their middle managers and they were somewhat bemused by it all - the move only includes a tiny fraction of the archive material they hold and there was definitely a sense that many of the employees think that they have so much stuff that deserves to be on display, it doesn't really matter where it's displayed, as long as people can see and access it.

The rationale behind my last post is that although I am originally from down south, I now work in Bradford and live within an hour's drive. I can see just how hard the city and surrounding area is working to try and improve an appallingly bad reputation from the last couple of decades - racially aggravated riots, shooting police officers, all sorts of other things. It really is trying to shake this negative image and I worry that centralising too much to London and drawing visitors away from cities like Bradford doesn't do anything to help put old and outdated views to bed and places like the NMM (and other things that are supposed to draw visitors to the local area) will never get over this; subsequently, the whole region suffers.

 

[BrianShaw]

I went there, under the original name, in the 1990s. I went there several times because I thought it was interesting and a decent museum. Opinions appear to differ, I suppose, but I'd go there again when the opportunity arises.

And please help me understand the "going to science" comment. I looked at their site this AM and didn't see anything about a change in the museum's focus. I must admit that the Science Group collection of museums is an odd assortment of "cats and dogs" but administrative situations like that don't surprise me too much. Is there any documentation supporting a change of the National Media Museum to some other mission?

BTW, when I visited Bradford it was against the recommendation of my British hosts. They told me it was a ghetto and unsafe. (My hosts were from a little farther North and the only disparaging comments I ever heard them make were against Scottish people and Americans, but never against Southerners.) But I actually found it to be a decent place to visit. And I liked the people a lot. Since then I found that some of my ancestors lived in Bradford for 20 years or so - a stopping place between Ireland and the United States. I've been in daily contact with a group of Bradford photographers/historians and the more I learn about the city the more I want to visit again.

 

[Alan Johnson]

Nearly 8 times as many people visited the London V&A as visited the Bradford National Media Museum:
http://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423
Let them vote with their feet.

 

[Jim Taylor]

...a group of Bradford photographers/historians...

Have you got some details? Sounds like my kind of people! PM me any interesting contacts you're prepared to share.

 

[RobC]

The statistics are highly misleading. The bradford museum has a lot of non stills exhibits and much other stuff. What we really want to know, or at least I do, is how many view properly curated photograph exhibitions. And the same with the V&A. BUt the V&A does make nearly all its collection available to anyone who books a study room. You say which photographs you want to see and they fetch them from the archive for you to handle and look at.
Does that exist in Bradford? I don't think so. The V&A is setup to be a proper study/research center for anyone wanting to use it. And I do mean anybody and not just the academic elite.
And its primarily only the RPS collection taht would be moved. So waht is the protest about? Its about the usual whining that we've come to expect and nothing more.

 

[RobC]

Fair point - no-one can argue with your opinion.

Despite my previous tuppence worth, when I was working with them on the aforementioned collaboration, I discussed this point with one of their middle managers and they were somewhat bemused by it all - the move only includes a tiny fraction of the archive material they hold and there was definitely a sense that many of the employees think that they have so much stuff that deserves to be on display, it doesn't really matter where it's displayed, as long as people can see and access it.

The rationale behind my last post is that although I am originally from down south, I now work in Bradford and live within an hour's drive. I can see just how hard the city and surrounding area is working to try and improve an appallingly bad reputation from the last couple of decades - racially aggravated riots, shooting police officers, all sorts of other things. It really is trying to shake this negative image and I worry that centralising too much to London and drawing visitors away from cities like Bradford doesn't do anything to help put old and outdated views to bed and places like the NMM (and other things that are supposed to draw visitors to the local area) will never get over this; subsequently, the whole region suffers.

If the people in the museum are saying they don't have a problem with the move, what is all the noise in the media, the politicians whining, the accusations of cultural rape, the artists coming out in support etc etc about? What you are telling us is that there are a lot of clueless numpties all crying wolf about something they know precisely nothing about. These people don't do themselves any favours. I rest my case.