Friday 11 July 2008

Bern Schwartz

Bern Schwartz - Photo of Angela Rippon (1977)Do you recognize this exuberant lady bouncing in her evening dress? She's Angela Rippon, the BBC TV newsreader who wowed the nation when she danced on the Morecambe and Wise Show. This brilliant photo by Bern Schwartz is a perfect example of how a talented portrait photographer can both capture his subject's personality and produce a striking picture. It first appeared on the cover of The Sunday Times Magazine in 1977. Yet Bern Schwartz wasn't a career photographer, but a Californian businessman who took up photography in his 60s! The National Portrait Gallery in London has just been given 140 of Bern's photographic portraits of iconic 20th Century Britons, taken between 1975 and 1978, to add to its Primary Collection. We'll have to wait for the exhibition.

8 Comments:

At 11/7/08, Anonymous Anonymous said...

A selection of 33 of these images is now on view at the NPG until 4 January 2009

 
At 12/7/08, Blogger Unknown said...

Thanks for the tip. I'll check out the NPG website. The way the BBC reported this item made it seem as though the donation had just happened. I guess Auntie was covering the opening of an exhibition and forgot to mention that fact!

 
At 13/7/08, Anonymous Anonymous said...

There is also a 32-pp colour catalogue by Dr. Anne Varick Lauder that accompanies the display.

 
At 13/7/08, Blogger Unknown said...

Thanks again. I noticed the catalogue when I finally tracked down the Bern Schwartz exhibition, which isn't shown on the NPG home page yet. My new post, featuring Twiggy, links to the NPG page I found. So people who visit it will find the catalogue.

Ironically, I recall the Twiggy photo from the NPG e-newsletter I received a day or two before the BBC News item appeared. As the photographer's name didn't ring any bells and the NPG home page didn't show the exhibition, I'd given up on it. Silly me. I could have scooped Auntie yet again!

(BBC News has only just covered the sand festival I previewed a couple of days ago with that cute baby elephant. And Auntie is using an ele graphic.)

 
At 13/7/08, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The NPG page for the Bern Schwartz display is quite hard to find but it is there, under What's On, then 20th Displays:
http://www.npg.org.uk/live/woschwartz.asp

There will also be a lecture to commemorate the display, 20 November with esteemed authors, John Julius Norwich and Hugo Vickers

 
At 14/7/08, Blogger Unknown said...

Yes. For some reason it's under events, rather than exhibitions and you need to scroll to the bottom of a long page to find it. Rather silly when NPG got that publicity from BBC News, albeit with no mention of the exhibition!

Thanks again. I must keep a closer eye on my NPG e-newsletter.

 
At 14/7/08, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree. It seems to be among the displays rather than an exhibition. There was nice coverage
in Friday's Telegraph, (News p. 7), and today's NY Times. Thanks.

 
At 14/7/08, Blogger Unknown said...

I get the feeling you have a vested interest in this exhibition. All to the good. I like getting feedback from people who know what they're talking about. I'll check out the New York Times article. The Telegraph art critic is a boring snob and gets right up my nose!

 

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