NEWS RELEASES
Captured Moments - 60 Years in a Flash
7 January 2009
1949 saw George Orwell’s '1984' published, clothes rationing end and Siam formally become Thailand. In Horsham 6 businessmen got together and formed the Horsham Photographic Society – a society for amateurs. But as the exhibition ‘Captured Moments – 60 years in a flash’ reveals amateur doesn’t mean amateurish, but people who love their hobby. This is only fitting for a town whose photographic roots go back to 1860s when two amateurs brought the new art to Horsham.
For 60 years Horsham Photographic Society have been leading the way with the rapidly changing world of photography. Just some of the highlights include the first front page photograph in the County Times, the use of Polaroid colour film, digital manipulation and the first photographic survey of the town. These and many other images form the backdrop to an exhibition that celebrates the Society members’ achievements.
The exhibition is a real eye opener, not only through the amazing images but in showing us how the photographer’s eye has changed. Fox Talbot in 1840s photographed a window, to show off his new invention, some 160s years later Jenny Cheal photographed a door, not to show off film or camera but to reveal the hidden beauty, to capture that moment when age had made an everyday door something special – but it needed a photographer to show it to the visitor.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is a role that the Horsham Photographic Society stumbled into way back in its earliest days, photographing the town. In 1951, the year of the Festival of Britain, Horsham Photographic Society took some 150 photographs of the town, providing both a record of post war Horsham and a wonderful showcase of their talents. In 2001 the members undertook the same exercise; they gave the images to the Museum. However this formalised survey has been complimented by the members own collection of images, including those of the current Chairman Roger Baker, whose images of 1960s Horsham have never been seen before in public.
Roger will be holding two free photographic workshops: a general session on Saturday 24 January 2 - 4pm and for the romantic among you, a “sweethearts” photographic session on Saturday 14 February 2 - 4pm both at Horsham Museum. Bring along your camera and find out more.
Along with original cameras, cups and awards, newspaper cuttings and above all stunning prints, ‘Captured Moments – 60 years in a flash’, is a fascinating and visually entertaining exhibition that provides plenty of images to trigger memories. It forms the start of the Society’s year long celebration.
‘Captured Moments – 60 years in a flash’ opens on Tuesday 13 January 2009.
For further information please contact Jeremy Knight, Curator.
Horsham Museum
9 Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HE
Tel: (01403) 254959 Fax: (01403) 282594
Email: museum@horsham.gov.uk
www.horshammuseum.org