Thomas Annan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THOMASTHOMAS PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER ANNANANNANOF GLASGOWOF GLASGOW Thomas Annan (Scottish, 1829–1887) ranked as the preeminent Thomas Annan (Scottish, 1829–1887)photographer ranked of Glasgowas the preeminent in the mid-nineteenth century, when photographer of Glasgow in thethe mid-nineteenth population of the “secondcentury, city” when of the the British Empire increased population of the “second city”dramatically of the British and industrialEmpire increasedproduction neared its peak. Annan dramatically and industrial productionopened his neared eponymous its peak. photographic Annan openedfirm in Glasgow in 1857 and North Sea his eponymous photographic firmmaintained in Glasgow a studio in there 1857 until and his maintained death, when a his brother Robert, SCOTLAND studio there until his death, whenand sonshis brother John and Robert, James andCraig, sons took Johnover the business. Trossachs Edinburgh and James Craig, took over the business. Glasgow Amid diverse artistic interests that ranged from portraiture to Amid diverse artistic interestslandscapes that ranged to fromphotographic studio portraiturereproductions to of paintings, Annan is photographic reproductions ofprincipally paintings remembered to landscapes, for his Annan documentation is of numerous municipal ISLE OF MAN principally remembered for hisinitiatives documentation that concerned of numerous Glasgow’s municipal built environment. Such work initiatives that concerned Glasgow’straced thebuilt evolution environment. of that densely Such workpopulated, rapidly changing city traced the evolution of that denselyand its populated,surroundings rapidly for approximately changing city thirty years. Best known for ENGLAND WALES and its surroundings for approximatelyrecording thirtytenement years. buildings Best knownand passageways, for or closes, prior to recording tenement buildings demolition—aand passageways, project orregarded closes, as prior a harbinger to of social documentary demolition—a project regardedphotography—Annan as a harbinger of workedsocial ondocumentary related civic projects that included photography—Annan worked onconstruction relatedThe J. Paul Getty civic of Museum the projects Loch Katrine that aqueduct,included the relocation of Glasgow © 2016 J. Paul Getty Trust construction of the Loch KatrineCollege, aqueduct, and the the expansion relocation of the of harbor. Glasgow His extensive engagement College, and the expansion ofwith the Glasgowharbor. His as aextensive subject forms engagement the basis of this exhibition, the with Glasgow as a photographicfirst subject to survey forms the breadth the basis of Annan’s of this prolific career and consider exhibition, the first to survey thehow breadth his work ofwas Annan’s printed, prolificreproduced, career and anddisseminated in the form consider how his work was printed,of photographically reproduced, illustrated and disseminated publications. in the form of photographically illustrated publications. THOMASTHOMASTHOMAS PHOTOGRAPHERTHOMAS PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER ANNANANNANANNANOFANNAN OFGLASGOW GLASGOWOF OFGLASGOW GLASGOW Thomas Annan (Scottish, 1829–1887) ranked as the preeminent Thomas Annan (Scottish, 1829–1887) ranked as the preeminent Thomas Annan (Scottish, 1829–1887)photographer ranked of Glasgowas the preeminent in the mid-nineteenth century, when Thomas Annan (Scottish, 1829–1887)photographer ranked of Glasgowas the preeminent in the mid-nineteenth century, when photographer of Glasgow in thethe mid-nineteenth population of the “secondcentury, city” when of the the British Empire increased photographer of Glasgow in thethe mid-nineteenth population of the “secondcentury, city” when of the the British Empire increased population of the “second city”dramatically of the British and industrialEmpire increasedproduction neared its peak. Annan population of the “second city”dramatically of the British and industrialEmpire increasedproduction neared its peak. Annan dramatically and industrial productionopened his neared eponymous its peak. photographic Annan openedfirm in Glasgow in 1857 and North Sea dramatically and industrial productionopened his neared eponymous its peak. photographic Annan openedfirm in Glasgow in 1857 and North Sea his eponymous photographic firmmaintained in Glasgow a studio in there 1857 until and his maintained death, when a his brother Robert, his eponymous photographic firmmaintained in Glasgow a studio in there 1857 until and his maintained death, when a his brother Robert, SCOTLAND studio there until his death, when his brother Robert, and sons John SCOTLAND studio there untiland his sons death, John when and James his brother Craig, tookRobert, over andthe business.sons John and sons John and James Craig, took over the business. Trossachs Edinburgh and James Craig, took over the business. Trossachs and James Craig, took over the business. Glasgow Edinburgh Amid diverse artistic interests that ranged from portraiture to Glasgow Amid diverse artistic interests that ranged from portraiture to Amid diverse artistic interestslandscapes that ranged to fromphotographic studio portraiturereproductions to of paintings, Annan is Amid diverse artistic interestslandscapes that ranged to fromphotographic studio portraiturereproductions to of paintings, Annan is photographic reproductions ofprincipally paintings remembered to landscapes, for his Annan documentation is of numerous municipal ISLE OF MAN photographic reproductions ofprincipally paintings remembered to landscapes, for his Annan documentation is of numerous municipal ISLE OF MAN principally remembered for hisinitiatives documentation that concerned of numerous Glasgow’s municipal built environment. Such work principally remembered for hisinitiatives documentation that concerned of numerous Glasgow’s municipal built environment. Such work initiatives that concerned Glasgow’straced thebuilt evolution environment. of that densely Such workpopulated, rapidly changing city initiatives that concerned Glasgow’s built environment. Such work traced the evolution of that densely populated, rapidly changing city ENGLAND traced the evolution of that denselyand its populated,surroundings rapidly for approximately changing city thirty years. Best known for ENGLAND traced the evolution of that denselyand its populated,surroundings rapidly for approximately changing city thirty years. Best known for WALES and its surroundings for approximatelyrecording thirtytenement years. buildings Best knownand passageways, for or closes, prior to WALES and its surroundings for approximatelyrecording thirtytenement years. buildings Best knownand passageways, for or closes, prior to recording tenement buildings demolition—aand passageways, project orregarded closes, as prior a harbinger to of social documentary recording tenement buildings demolition—aand passageways, project orregarded closes, as prior a harbinger to of social documentary demolition—a project regardedphotography—Annan as a harbinger of workedsocial ondocumentary related civic projects that included demolition—a project regardedphotography—Annan as a harbinger of workedsocial ondocumentary related civic projects that included photography—Annan worked onconstruction related civic of the projects Loch Katrine that aqueduct,included the relocation of Glasgow photography—Annan worked onconstruction related civic of the projects Loch Katrine that aqueduct,included the relocation of Glasgow construction of the Loch KatrineCollege, aqueduct, and the the expansion relocation of the of harbor. Glasgow His extensive engagement construction of the Loch KatrineCollege, aqueduct, and the the expansion relocation of the of harbor. Glasgow His extensive engagement College, and the expansion ofwith the Glasgowharbor. His as aextensive subject forms engagement the basis of this exhibition, the College, and the expansion ofwith the Glasgowharbor. His as aextensive subject forms engagement the basis of this exhibition, the with Glasgow as a photographicfirst subject to survey forms the breadth the basis of Annan’s of this prolific career and consider with Glasgow as a photographicfirst subject to survey forms the breadth the basis of Annan’s of this prolific career and consider exhibition, the first to survey thehow breadth his work ofwas Annan’s printed, prolificreproduced, career and anddisseminated in the form exhibition, the first to survey thehow breadth his work ofwas Annan’s printed, prolificreproduced, career and anddisseminated in the form consider how his work was printed,of photographically reproduced, illustrated and disseminated publications. in consider how his work was printed,of photographically reproduced, illustrated and disseminated publications. in the form of photographically illustrated publications. the form of photographically illustrated publications. The J. Paul Getty Museum © 2016 J. Paul Getty Trust OLD CLOSES & STREETS Thomas Annan is best known today for the haunting series Photographs of Old Closes and Streets, considered an early example of social documentary photography. Between 1868 and 1871 he produced at least thirty-one images that depict streets, tenements, and passageways (referred to by such various terms as closes, vennels, and wynds) that were earmarked for modification or demolition as a result of the Glasgow City Improvements Act of 1866. A selection of these photographs is on display in this gallery. Dark, narrow, and hidden behind the main thoroughfares of Saltmarket, Gallowgate, Trongate, and High Street, the closes