| Names: | Other: H.P. Robinson
Other: Henry P. Robinson
|
| | Dates: | 1830, 9 July - 1901, 21 February | | Born: | Great Britain, England, Ludlow | | Active: | England | | Gender: | Male |
The godfather of Pictorialism and extremely influential in nineteenth century photography circles, Robinson shaped public opinion, both through the photographs he exhibited and the books he wrote. He learned combination printing from Oscar Gustave Rejlander, but easily surpassed the teacher, producing definitive photographs printed from as many as nine negatives. He led a secession group of photographers away from the Royal Photographic Society and was a founder member of the Linked Ring Brotherhood in 1892.
[Courtesy of Pam Roberts]
Andrew Pringle, Sun Artists, (Number 2):
"Mr. Robinson's pictures never fail to find favour with the jurors at photographic exhibitions, and he now stands the most be-medalled photographer in the world. He was not the first to introduce the special line of photography with which his name is now so intimately connected - 'Composite' photography, - but he was quick to perceive its possibilities...Many of Mr Robinsons most important works...were...produced not from one single negative, but...from two or more negatives printed on one sheet of paper...
It will be interesting and, we hope, instructive to many, to endeavour to trace his teaching and his intentions in his works.
The very first criticism we make on his works is that in every case we find an evident intention - some story is told, some conception worked out, though the whole of the story or conception is not given, and we are left to imagine some things and to connect others. At the first blush we should expect the two women in 'Carolling' to be joyous and frivolous, but we find one is not so gay as her companion; she looks back as well as forward, she has doubts as well as hopes, and her comparative gravity enhances the gaiety of the other, and gives intensity and intention to the episode."Preparing biographies
General reading
Handy, Ellen (ed.), 1994, Pictorial Effect, Naturalistic Vision: The Photographs and Theories of Henry Peach Robinson and Peter Henry Emerson, (Norfolk, VA: Chrysler Museum) [Δ]
Lukacher, Brian, 1994, ‘Powers of Sight: Robinson, Emerson, and the Polemics of Pictorial Photography‘, in Handy, Ellen (ed.), Pictorial Effect Naturalistic Vision: The Photographs and Theories of Henry Peach Robinson and Peter Henry Emerson, pp.29-51 [Δ]
Readings on, or by, individual photographers
Harker, Margaret F, 1988, Henry Peach Robinson: Master of Photographic Art 1830-1901, (Oxford: Basil Blackwell) [Δ]
Harker, Margaret F, 1988, Henry Peach Robinson: Master of Photographic Art, 1830–1901, (New York: Basil Blackwell) [Δ]
Pringle, Andrew, 1890, January, ‘Mr. H. P. Robinson‘, Sun Artists, vol.2, pp.13 [Δ]
Robinson, Henry Peach, 1896, The Elements of a Pictorial Photograph, (London: Percy Lund) [Δ]
Robinson, HP, 1869, Pictorial Effect in Photography: Being Hints on Composition and Chiaroscuro for Photographers, (London: Piper & Carter) [Δ]
Robinson, HP, 1884, Picture Making by Photography, (London: Piper & Carter) [Δ]
Robinson, HP, 1885, The Studio, and What to Do in It, (London: Piper and Carter) [Δ]
Robinson, HP, 1888, Letters on Landscape Photography, (London: Piper & Carter) [Δ]
Robinson, HP, 1890, Photography as a Business, (London: Percy Lunt) [Δ]
Robinson, HP, 1891, ‘Letter to the editor‘, Photographic Art Journal, vol.4, no.48, pp.151 [Δ]
Robinson, HP, 1891, ‘Science and Art‘, Photographic Art Journal, vol.4, no.44, pp.78 [Δ]
Robinson, HP & Abney, Captain de W, 1881, The Art and Practice of Silver Printing, (London: Piper and Carter) [Δ]
Taylor, John, 1979, ‘Henry Peach Robinson and Victorian Theory‘, History of Photography, vol.3, no.4, pp.295 [Δ]
Vertrees, Alan, 1982, ‘The Picture Making of Henry Peach Robinson‘, in Oliphant, Dave & Zigal, Thomas (eds.), Perspectives in Photography, pp.78-101 [Δ]
If you feel this list is missing a significant book or article please let me know - Alan - alan@luminous-lint.com | |
Family history
If you are related to this photographer and interested in tracking down your extended family we can place a note here for you to help. It is free and you would be amazed who gets in touch.
alan@luminous-lint.com |
|
 | Henry Peach Robinson: Carrolling |
|  | Henry Peach Robinson: Fading Away |
|  | Henry Peach Robinson: Little Red Riding Hood |
|  | Henry Peach Robinson: Loch Voil |
|  | Henry Peach Robinson: Rustahall Quarry |
|  | Henry Peach Robinson: She Never Told Her Love |
|  | Henry Peach Robinson: Temps orageux - Wild Weather |
|  | Henry Peach Robinson: When the Day's Work's Done |
|
All photographs by this photographer
The following books are useful starting points to obtain brief biographies but they are not substitutes for the monographs on individual photographers. |
• Beaton, Cecil & Buckland, Gail 1975 The Magic Eye: The Genius of Photography from 1839 to the Present Day (Boston and Toronto: Little, Brown & Company) p.50 [Useful short biographies with personal asides and one or more example images.]
• Weaver, Mike (ed.) 1989 The Art of Photography 1839-1989 (New Haven and London: Yale University Press) p.465 [This exhibition catalogue is for the travelling exhibition that went to Houston, Canberra and London in 1989.]
• Witkin, Lee D. and Barbara London 1979 The Photograph Collector’s Guide (London: Secker and Warburg) p.223-224 [Long out of print but an essential reference work - the good news is that a new edition is in preparation.]
|
If there is an analysis of a single photograph or a useful self portrait I will highlight it here. |
| "Healthy human eyes never saw any part of a scene out of focus." |
|
