Sunday 29 January 2012

An Eye for Fashion, Photography by Norman Parkinson 1954-1964

Last weekend I took a stroll into the past. I was delighted to receive an invitation from our friend Angela Williams to attend the launch of an exhibition of original vintage prints by fashion photography Norman Parkinson. Angela was Parkinson's assistant during the early sixties. When he left his Twickenham studio she asked if she could have his surplus vintage silver prints. And so, decades later, thanks to Angela's efforts to save and preserve them, we were standing looking at an exhibition of wonderful photographs exquisitely displayed at the M Shed in Bristol's redeveloped dockland. The exhibition runs until 15th April and is worth a visit especially if you are writing in the period, if you are interested in the history of fashion or you simply enjoy lovely photographs well displayed. After April the photographs will travel to the U.S.

Another opening, another (special) show....
Entrance to exhibition at M Shed, Bristol
Angela
Michael, Angela's partner


Models (mannequins) wearing clothes from the period set off the photographs. Period wallpapers are tastefully chosen as a background for the models.

21st century meets 20th
Price label reads £3.10 shillings
Sixties tweed
Viewing
Retro
Art in photographs



Angela and her partner hosted the opening and it was busy. The guests were almost, but not quite, as superbly dressed as the models in the photographs. How could they compete? None the less, the guests all looked beautiful having made a salute to the era with their own dress style and with their own individual accents. Dancers and singers were hired for the occasion. Canapes and cocktails were served in the rooms adjacent to the gallery there was a continuous buzz of enthusiastic conversation.

Get down
Hipster family
Classic Parkinson model
Bristol Gothic
Angela is the focus of attention under Parkinson's gaze
Sophistication
See exhibition caption below
Quite
A contrast in fashions
Baby Doll, Carol Baker
"Vicky Strevens wearing Slimma skirt with a Netawear top"


Then, of course there is the after show party which took place in The Living Room, a modern building in the clubbing and partying section of the redeveloped Docks. The finishes look expensive, and inside, the upper level is spanned by an interior bridge which allows unusual perspectives for people-watching. Incongruously, a white Baby Grand piano has on its lid a laptop computer from which the resident DJ orchestrates the cacophonous beats which target every nook and cranny like eardrum seeking sonic missiles. They make impossible any conversation which is more nuanced or intelligent than simple pick-up lines.

We retreat outside to the patio and in the glow generated by the infra-red heaters and the strong cocktails we gather around a few tables to review and discuss what was a fabulous evening.

The visit to this show was just the tonic for a chill January evening. It made me reflect on post-war optimism and the innocent fun associated with London during the Sixties. There were no mobile phones, TV had for most of the era two channels, videos were unheard of, and DVDs and personal computers were for the future. Yet, when I look at these photographs I feel the positivity of the era emanating from the background to many of these shots. The exhibition was for me, a keyhole into a past decade and now I feel like hunting out photographs of my own mother and looking closely at those hats and shoes and the little 1940s/ 1950s Jaeger suits she once apon a time wore. And perhaps, it is because of her that I , too, have always loved 'style' her term for fashion.

An Eye For Fashion, Norman Parkinson Photographs, British Designers 1954 - 1964 runs until 15th April.

http://mshed.org/





5 comments:

  1. What a lovely post. I love the photographs and the 50s fashions too. I'm definitely going to try and get to the exhibition. Wonderful!

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  2. Oh thank you for all that. Angela deserves publicity for it. There was a fabulous article in The Guardian about her a few weeks ago too. Do go. Link is on the post. We really loved the photographs and I love Hockney too, of course.

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  3. What fun Carol - Marvellous to read about it from another perspective -
    I have contacted the people I recognise in the photographs - Love the one of you - looking very very stylish - and look forward to seeing you on the 17th March for the Talk - Jill Kennington is now joining me - and for the "Tea" afterwards when we will talk about Parkinson - she had a great collaboration with Parks - both as a model and later as a photographer - Also Jill appeared in the Antonioni film " Blow Up" we hope to get a screening of that in the evening - to be confirmed + will show some other vintage Parkinson's available to collectors . x Angela W

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  4. I shall be there. It was great and if Patrick has other fabbo pics I'll see if I can bring them. I loved 'Blow Up' and will view it again in advance of the tea. I am getting a LOT of traffic to this and not surprising as the exhibition is so fascinating.x

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  5. It's becoming quite a habit to compliment you on your photos, Carol. You and Patrick have again done well!

    Liz X

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