'Elizabeth II and Camera Press: 60 years of a gentleman's agreement' is the product of a very long, prestigious relationship between the London-based photographic agency Camera Press and the British Royal Family. The Queen, born in 1926 and photographed virtually from day one, is interestingly a very appropriate case study through which to chart the history of portrait photography, in both its social and technological developments.
In the third installment of our Arles series, we take in a more traditional gallery of images and discuss the unusual subject matter with Emma Blau, Executive Director of Camera Press and granddaughter of Tom Blau, its founder, which celebrates its 60th birthday this year.
Click here to see the gallery of images from the exhibition or continue down to read our interview with Emma.
Where do Camera Press' links with the royal family come from? How did the collaboration come about?
Camera Press was founded by my late Grandfather Tom Blau in 1947. The first photographer to be recruited to the agency was Karsh and the two men remained life-long friends. Other early additions were Lord Snowdon and Cecil Beaton followed by Patrick Lichfield a little later. All of these photographers were favourites of the Royal Family at that time and we built up a unique relationship with the Palace as a result. These close links have been maintained to the present day.
As a result of our long term collaboration, we are implicitly trusted by Buckingham Palace and have often been consulted on who could be added to the ranks of royal photographers and take official pictures- for instance those photographers selected for the Golden Jubilee series. That trust is important since we are often given privileged and confidential information. No other agency represents so many of the leading royal photographers, hence the strength of the material in the Arles exhibition.
The Queen is obviously an unusual subject through which to chart 60 years of photography. Do you think there's a case for the subject matter being bigger than the discipline?
I think the subject matter is an interesting example through which to investigate a certain, specific history of the discipline. If you want to analyse how portrait photography has evolved the Queen is a very high-profile example yes. But the way in which she has been represented photographically over the years throws up some interesting issues about how portrait photography is used to both document a person and also create a specific set of subjective meanings about that person to the viewer.
In addition, The Queen has chosen to be photographed by some of the top portrait photographers of our times. Her official portraits are therefore an important contribution to the history of portrait photography in terms of exemplifying the work of the key photographers who have contributed to that very history.
The selection of images shown at Arles focuses, very importantly, on prearranged, official portrait sessions of the Queen on her own and not the host of other reportage images of the queen, nor other official images with other members of the royal family, which are in existence. It was always our intention to look at a very specific set of circumstances and photographs in order to investigate one person's relationship with photography and the images of them which were put into public circulation.
It is interesting to note that these photographs of The Queen, whilst reflecting the public perception of the monarchy at the time they were taken and the queens wishes in how she was represented, also reveal the changing fashions of portrait photography from the formal studio portrait to more relaxed, intimate pictures through to fashion-influenced style photography, finally arriving at examples of today's contemporary photography where to a certain extent all of these different styles are appropriated and accepted .
What changes do you see to the way in which the Queen's been photographed over the last 60 years?
Are these changes due to the changing nature of photography (i.e. technology, technique etc) or more a representation of social change (i.e. part of a bigger cultural shift in the way we as a viewing public 'view' the monarchy)?
Very early childhood photographs of the Queen really subscribed to the Pictorialist movement and indeed many of them are hand-painted.
During the 1940's and into the early 1950's the portraits taken of The Queen were rather formal- the epitome of this being the famous Coronation portrait by Beaton. Obviously the technologies used at this time to produce portrait photographs necessitated to a certain extent a more formal result- large format cameras, tungsten lighting etc. However I feel these photographs also comment on society at that time and what were deemed 'appropriate' representations of the Royal Family for the general public. And also to a certain extent the publics' own expectations of how the Royal Family were supposed to be viewed.
This formality in style gradually loosened up and in 1950's we see a shift towards Hollywood movie-star glamour - for example there is something almost Elizabeth Taylor-esque about Donald McKague's black and white photograph of her in a Hardy Amies day dress.
This change of style then continues with photographs obviously influenced by the fashion photography of the 1960's and 1970's
In the 1960's and 1970's we are also introduced to a more intimate 'reportage' style of photography. Whilst being a popular photographic style of the period we must remember that Patrick Lichfield who took many of these shots, was part of the inner circle of the royal family himself and his pictures undoubtedly reflect this relationship with the Queen. - Her on horse back, her snapped en route to the state opening of parliament. Although very different in style, the photographs taken by Lord Snowdon of the Queen over the years also have a more intimate feel to them - he took many of the photographs of the Queen with her children.
We then have contemporary examples with the Golden Jubilee series where 10 different photographers were asked to photograph the Queen. The results are an interesting combination of the formal (Julian Calder, John Swannell, Anthony Crickmay, Patrick Lichfield), the relaxed (Bryan Adams, Prince Andrew, David Secombe) and modern day, stylised portraiture (Polly Borland, Rankin). This series really reflects how photography as a discipline now encompasses many contrasting styles and approaches, even when photographing such an established figure like the queen.
So there have indeed been many changes in the way in which the Queen has chosen to be photographed over the years. I think that these changes are due to the changing nature of photography and are also a representation of social change. I think both aspects are at play. These official portraits represent an evolution of photographic techniques throughout the history of photography. There is also no doubt that the Queen is very aware of cultural and social shifts in public perceptions of the monarchy. It is important for her to maintain an up to date visual dialogue with the public. At the same time the photographer is obviously heavily responsible for the image produced from a sitting and their style and technique will inevitably give additional meaning to the photograph produced.
In Camera Press' 60-year history, what are the factors that have come to define the way the agency operates? What sets it apart from other agencies?
Defining factors: Integrity, well-known and well-respected world-wide brand, have built and continue to build long term personal relationships with our photographers, committed to developing new photographic talent, actively progressive and have moved on to embrace the changes in technology and a rapidly changing market.
Now in its 60th year, Camera Press remains not only family owned, but also one of the last independent photographic agencies in existence. Camera Press has expertly and passionately built a long-standing reputation for representing some of the greatest names in portrait photography. Many illustrious names have enjoyed the very personal relationship Tom Blau (Camera press' founder and a photographer in his own right) had with his photographers. This important, personable legacy is something that continues with all of our contributors. Acknowledged photographic legends- Karsh, Baron, Snowdon, Beaton, Lichfield- are now joined by top contemporary photographers -Jason Bell, Perou, Bryan Adams, Jillian Edelstein and Mary McCartney to name but a few. Throughout, as well as established names, we have always looked to nurture new talent; recent stylish newcomers include Matt Holyoak, Seto and Amanda Bruns.
We have consistently promoted the photographer as an individual and prided ourselves on the close working relationship we have with all of our photographers. Such great contributors have given Camera Press a peerless archive as well as an unparalleled British royal collection. Internationally, we are known as the agency of choice for quality photographs of celebrities and royals. This is in addition to our thriving lifestyle department, covering fashion, beauty, food and interiors, and high profile reportage and features material from international contributors that include Gamma and Laif.
We have always been associated with great quality control when dealing with the placement of photographer's work. This is another reason why our close relationship with Buckingham Palace continues. The honest values with which Tom Blau founded the agency are upheld to this day and we are trusted to distribute material appropriately on behalf of contributing artists.
We also have the internationally-acclaimed Camera Press Gallery where we exhibit the work of our photographers- recent highlights there have included 'Intimate and Unseen' by Jillian Edelstein, 'Remembering JFK: A Jacques Lowe Retrospective' and numerous shows curated from our archives.
Obviously one of the biggest factors that has defined how we and many other agencies operate is the digital age of photography which has revolutionised the industry. And by this I do not just mean photographers shooting digital files instead of negatives. I also refer to the technologies which allow us to distribute images digitally. For example- with official royal releases, in pre-digital times the hard-copy photographs were only ever handed out at a given time, usually on the evening of publication, and Camera Press would be placed under siege, with queues of messengers and editors round the block. Now of course embargoed photographs can be sent out worldwide at a specific time at the touch of a button. We embraced the digital age very early on at Camera Press and updated our technologies in preparation for the changes this brought about in the industry.
We have always had from the very beginning an impressive network of international agents who represent our material abroad. Even in the digital age of photography where worldwide distribution is far easier, the personal touch offered by our foreign agents is crucial in our international success in representing photographers' work.
INFORMATION
Rencontres d'Arles runs from 3rd July to 16th September all over the French town of Arles.
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Arles: Terrains d'entente
Arles: Anne Wilkes Tucker -
Arles: Discovery Award
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