A man described as one of the pre-eminent photographers of 19th century Glasgow is to be championed by one of the world's most famous museums.
The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is stage a major show of the work of Thomas Annan, who made many photographs of Glasgow in the Victorian era and chronicled its many changes, in a show from May 23.
The Getty said it is the first exhibition to survey Annan's prolific career, covering 25 years, as both a photographer and a printer.
The exhibition includes more than 100 photographs and aims, its curator said, to "highlight the breadth of his output and the extent of his contributions to the medium, which we hope will prompt further scholarship and greater appreciation for this important 19th century practitioner."
Many show the slums of Glasgow as it was, tenements on the verge of demolition, as well as landscapes by the photographer who lived from 1829 to 1887.
Amanda Maddox, curator of the show, added: "Though a pioneer in his field, Annan has remained a relatively marginalized figure in the history of photography."
Annan opened his own photographic firm in Glasgow in 1857 and remained active until his death three decades later.
Initially Annan worked on studio portraiture and reproductions of artwork to landscapes, but he also became a documentarian of Glasgow and its outskirts.
Near the outset of his career, Annan was tasked with documenting the construction of a 35-mile long aqueduct—located in a picturesque wooded glen called the Trossachs—from Loch Katrine to Glasgow.
He documented the areas of the city which were due to be affeced by the Glasgow City Improvements Act of 1867.
Annan’s Photographs of Old Closes and Streets series (1868-71) reveals the wretched living conditions of working-class residents of central Glasgow at the time.
Among the civic projects that he documented, and that will be showcased in the exhibition, are the relocation of the University of Glasgow, the re-navigation of the River Clyde and the construction of Queen’s Dock at Glasgow harbour, and the beautification of Glasgow Cathedral.
His eldest sons, James Craig and John, who worked as photographers and managed their father’s photographic firm upon his death.
Timothy Potts, director of the J Paul Getty Museum said: "Annan’s photographs underscore the notion of progress that dominated this era and directed urban growth in the 19th century."
Dr Sara Stevenson, former chief curator of the Scottish National Photography Collection who helped contribute to the show's catalogue, said: "It was a real pleasure to work with Amanda Maddox, a curator in the J Paul Getty Museum, and her colleagues on this.
"It is good that Thomas Annan's work can be so celebrated on the other side of the world.
"I must admit it felt a bit strange to be thinking about Glasgow in the nineteenth century in the context of 21st century Los Angeles.
"I will be very interested to hear the response of their audience - many of whom will be descended from Scots immigrants."
The Getty said: "Despite challenges posed by weather, sanitation, lighting, and the labour-intensive photographic equipment/process he employed, Annan produced highly detailed, enigmatic photographs of the closes and the tenement dwellers that are testament to his technical and artistic mastery."
Roddy Simpson, honorary research fellow at the University of Glasgow, said: "Thomas Annan was a photographer of exceptional talent who excelled in every aspect of the medium he practised.
"His photographs recording social change in Glasgow are outstanding on their own but he made brilliant portraits, was one of the finest landscape photographers in Victorian Scotland and had an unrivalled expertise in copying paintings.
"It was Annan’s drive, dedication and striving for perfection that gives his photographs their distinctive, artistic quality."
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