The Daily Herald: Popular desires and managing the production of photographs
Lead Research Organisation:
De Montfort University
Department Name: School of Humanities
Abstract
This project explores the practices of photographic production in the Daily Herald Archive (DHA). The DHA is a unique survival of the imaging practices of a mid-20th century popular newspaper. It comprises over two million photographs that cover major newsworthy events in the UK and across the world. Photographs were supplied by staff photographers, freelancers, and commercial agencies. Regardless of source, all of the photographs supplied to the newspaper were stored in a complex and comprehensive filing system. The system, as instituted, amended and supplemented by the original users at the Daily Herald, survives nearly intact, its registry order and physical structure almost precisely as it existed at the closure of the newspaper.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Elizabeth Edwards (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Rebecca Smith (Student) |
| Description | My findings have contributed to the programming and forward planning of the National Science and Media Museum, which is the partner institution for my Collaborative Doctoral Programme. This contribution has a subsequent impact on the museum's wider audience: whether as visitors or partners. So far, my research has contributed to an exhibition, and towards the development of plans for future funding bids for widening access to the collection. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | 'Fake News' exhibition. Part of the National Science and Media Museum's temporary exhibition programme |
| Organisation | National Science and Media Museum |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | I was asked to contribute ideas and suggestions for one of the five strands in the exhibition, based on my research into the Daily Herald Picture Archive. I provided the exhibition's Content Developer with ideas for content, introduced her to the complexities of the material (archival photographs) and discussed the priorities of the exhibition, and how my research, and the examples I suggested could provide a diverse range of interpretative narrative. I was asked to provide draft text for interpretative panels which was used verbatim to supply context and narrative. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The National Science and Media Museum developed the overall concept, structure and design of the exhibition.They were keen to use the Daily Herald as a case study, and to provide the opportunity to use items from their core collections. |
| Impact | The main output was the exhibition which was open to the public from 24 November 2017 - 28 January 2018 |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Doctoral student workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I received a request from the National Science and Media Museum to deliver a workshop for the new cohort of Durham Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships in Visual Culture. This hour long workshop used elements of my research into press photography, and provided a range of investigative possibilities surrounding photography for the cohort - who, though engaged in visual culture, had a disparate range of research interests. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | MA student group workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This workshop was devised for a group of students studying for the MA in Photographic History at De Montfort University. It used a case study that encapsulates elements of my research to a) encourage students to investigate, anlyse and question the evidence found in the materiality of photographic objects and b) provide a learning opportunity focussed on the series of practical processes and practices used in press photography |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
| Description | Member of a panel discussing the current media focus on 'Fake News', and some of the precursors of activities that were undertaken to deliver the news using 'fakery' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The panel was convened as an event to mark the opening of the 'Fake News' exhibition at the National Science and Media Museum. It was also an optional event at the Science Museum Group Research conference. As such, it was open to delegates of the conference, and to members of the public attending the launch.The panel was focused on the themes contained in the exhibition; I represented the historic practices of picture editing press imagery undertaken for disparate reasons ranging from the pragmatic needs of design and printing, through embellishment to 'spice up' and exclusive, and onto to politically motivated deception. This drew both on my research into the processes undertaken by the Daily Herald, and on the additional work I had contributed to the exhibition. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/what-was-on/2017-science-museum-group-research-conference |