The Courtauld Digital Media Blog

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Charles Wheeler, Modern Sculptor – The Garden Court Keystones at the Bank of England'. It was written by Jake Bransgrove. It was first published on 5 November 2021. This audio version was recorded by Celia Cockburn, who is a Digitisation volunteer.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Why Materiality Matters'. It was written by Aayushi Gupta, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 24 August 2021. This audio version was recorded by Christopher Williams, who is a Digitisation volunteer.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Ghosts on the South Bank: a walking tour of the Festival of Britain'. It was written by Kitty Gurnos-Davies, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 15 October 2021. This audio version was recorded by Celia Cockburn, who is a Digitisation volunteer.

Kitty revisits the South Bank of London with her own medium-format camera, to recreate and reimagine the Festival of Britain which once stood at the site. She explains how the landscape has changed, and what has remained the same, over the last 80 years.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Photographic Memories of Ravello, Italy'. It was written by Muny Morgan, who is a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects digitisation project. It was first published on 27 September 2019. This audio version is read by Will Rodgers, who is also a digitisation volunteer.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'World Architecture Unlocked – our global transcription volunteering on Zooniverse'. It was written and recorded by Faye Fornasier, who is the The Courtauld’s Digitisation, Database, and Cataloguing Manager. It was first published on 26 October 2020 and The Courtauld launched its first global crowdsourced transcription project the next day. 

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Introducing our New Digitisation Project'. It was written and recorded by Faye Fornasier, who is the The Courtauld’s Digitisation, Database, and Cataloguing Manager. It was first published on 9 March 2017. 

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Yoga Vinyasa Inspired by Paul Laib's Photographs of Barbara Hepworth's Work'. It was written and recorded by Mary Whittingdale, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 8 October 2021.

Mary was inspired by Paul Laib's photographs of Barbara Hepworth's sculptures to create a yoga vinyasa. A vinyasa is a sequence of positions, one flowing after the other, guided by the breath. This type of yoga invites exploration of Hepworth’s work particularly well as attention is brought to both the poise of the figure and the fluidity of form.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'On The Shelley Memorial by Edward Onslow Ford'. It was written by Alexander Bird, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 10 April 2020. This audio version is read by Christopher Williams, who is a digitisation volunteer.

In this post, Alexander considers how Edward Onslow Ford's memorial for Percy Bysshe Shelley idealised the poet's life and death. The memorial can be found at University College Oxford, where Shelley was once a rebellious student, and depicts a male figure surrounded by allegorical, mythic, and religious details. Alexander discusses how Ford's work is representative of the "New Sculpture" movement of the 19th century, and reflects on how the sculpture affected the way that Shelley and his work have been remembered ever since.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'The Hop Exchange'. It was written by Lorraine Stoker, who volunteers with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 22 June 2021. This audio version is read by Celia Cockburn, who is a digitisation volunteer.

In this post, Lorraine uses a photograph of the decorated portico of the Hop Exchange in Southwark, London, UK, to reflect on the changing fortunes of hop-pickers and hop-sellers in living memory. The tympanum, above the doorway of the Exchange, shows an idealised view of hop-pickers, while inside the building the ornate Victorian decoration reflects symbols of Kent, a county in south east England famous for its hop farms.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'A Sequel To The “Unfinished Symphony” Of Charles Sargeant Jagger'. It was written by Cornelia Chen aka Chen Chen, who did a remote student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 14 May 2021. This audio version is read by Christopher Williams, who is a digitisation volunteer.

In this post, Cornelia is inspired by photographs of Charles Sergeant Jagger's sculptures to reflect on the workings of memory and public memorialisation. Using a software called Pixelsynth, Cornelia creates sound pieces to accompany the photographs: the resulting sounds draw out the atmospheres and moods of the memorials, drawing viewers and listeners into the small details.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Getting to know our volunteers'. It was written by Sarah Way, who was the Volunteer Coordinator with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project from 2017-2019. It was first published on 22 March 2017. This audio version is read by Celia Cockburn, who is a digitisation volunteer.

In this post, Sarah reflects on six weeks of recruiting new volunteers for the project. It turns out, it's almost impossible to describe a 'typical' volunteer for the project, as people come from all walks of life to generously bring their skills and share their knowledge with this ambitious project.

1-7 June is Volunteers’ Week in the UK. In 2020, this fell during lockdown, and we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate our fantastic Digitisation Volunteers. We interviewed several of our volunteers and shared their responses in a series of blog posts.

This interview is with Gill, Lorraine, and Bill. For this audio version, Gill and Bill read their own answers, while Lorraine's answers are voiced by Celia. The audio was edited by Christopher Bean. Both Celia and Christopher are also volunteers with us. As you will hear, our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a huge range of interests. We hope you enjoy meeting some of our wonderful team!

1-7 June is Volunteers’ Week in the UK. In 2020, this fell during lockdown, and we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate our fantastic Digitisation Volunteers. We interviewed several of our volunteers and shared their responses in a series of blog posts.

This interview is with Francesca and Anne. For this audio version, Francesca'a answers are read by Claudia, and Anne's answers are voiced by Celia, who are also digitisation volunteers. As you will hear, our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a huge range of interests. We hope you enjoy meeting some of our wonderful team!

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Building Independence: the Kenyan Parliament'. It was written by Ben Britton, who is a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 23 April 2021. This audio version is also read by Ben.

In this post, Ben examines two photographs by Anthony Kersting. These photographs show the National Assembly building in Nairobi, Kenya. In its architectural design, Ben explains how the building reflects both the tastes and legacies of colonial rule, and the ambitious future-looking, socialist ambitions of the independent nation.

1-7 June is Volunteers’ Week in the UK. In 2020, this fell during lockdown, and we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate our fantastic Digitisation Volunteers. We interviewed several of our volunteers and shared their responses in a series of blog posts.

This interview is with Celia and Erva. For this audio version, Celia was able to read her responses, and Erva's answers are voiced by Elena, another digitisation volunteer. As you will hear, our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a huge range of interests. We hope you enjoy meeting some of our wonderful team!

This is the audio version of the blog post 'A Photographic Detective Story: The Curious Case Of The Sultan In The Cellar'. It was written by Julian Wood, who is a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 5 February 2021. This audio version is read by Meredith Loper, who is also a digitisation volunteer.

In this post, Julian is intrigued by a mysterious photo album held in the Conway Library. The album is filled with black-and-white prints showing churches, classical architecture, and city scapes from around the Mediterranean. But who made the album, and why? Julian uses handwritten initials as a starting point for unravelling stories of family and travel, and examines the historical significance of the photographs carefully collected together.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Layers of London records by Michael Mayes'. Michael is a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project, and this post includes an introduction written by Fran Allfrey, the Courtauld Connects volunteer officer. It was first published on 26 June 2020. This audio version is read by Claudia Neagu, who is also a digitisation volunteer.

Layers of London is a website run by the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London. Layers of London allows anyone in the world to add photographs to a map of London, 'pinning' images, memories, and research about particular locations. Volunteers at the Courtauld have uploaded over 100 photographs to Layers of London. In this post, we share just four of Michael's favourite photographs: the Crown Pub, the Lenin Memorial, Ludgate Circus, and the Horniman Museum.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'London Life: Beatniks And Barefoot Girls In Trafalgar Square'. The post was written by Lorraine Stoker, who is a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 11 December 2020. This audio version is read by Celia Cockburn, who is also a digitisation volunteer.

One of thousands of photographs by Anthony Kersting is labelled "Beatniks and barefoot girls in Trafalgar Square". Lorraine is transported by the photograph back to the 1960s, and brings together research and personal memories to imagine the conversations being had in the picture. The printed photograph was without a date, however, Lorraine discovers an exact date for the photo, and proposes how the image captures the spirit of the decade.

This is the audio version of the blog post '9,763 Red Boxes'. The post was written by Surya Bowyer, who is a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 29 January 2021. The post features illustrations by Simba Baylon who can be found on Instagram @simbalenciaga. This audio version is read by Christopher Williams, who is also a digitisation volunteer.

Surya's beautiful post combines memories, instruction manuals from the digitisation project, photographic theory, and quotations from Susan Sontag, Donald Barthelme, William Blake to reconstruct an experience of being in the Conway Library. As she writes: "Officially: There are 9,763 boxes in the Conway Library", but inside each box is a journey waiting to be taken, houses and streets to explore. We hope you enjoy this meditative and creative piece.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Stepping Back In Mind, South East Asia'. The post was written by Muny Morgan, who is a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 4 December 2020. This audio version is read by Tianyu, who is also a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Muny comes across a photograph taken by Anthony Kersting of Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, in Bangkok. Kersting travelled the world, and thousands of his photos are in the Courtauld's collection. However, this particular photograph leads Muny down memory lane. Muny shares photos from her own photographic archive and other pictures taken by Kersting to reflect on the varied architectures of South East Asia and how they have developed over time, from colonial buildings through to futuristic skyscrapers.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Soutine’s Portraits Exhibition At The Courtauld Gallery'. The post was written by Stewart Cliff, who volunteered with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 1 November 2017. This audio version is read by Elena Vardon, who is a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Stewart discusses the portraits made by Soutine displayed at The Courtauld in 2017. He discusses how the artist's work relates to that of his contemporaries, including photographers, other painters, and modernist and post-modernist designers. Stewart shows us a way of looking at the portraits as having a photographic quality that captures a fleeting real moment in time, and he explains how Soutine - who lived in destitution in Europe - found fame in the USA.

This is the audio version of the blog post '18th Century China Under The Pen Of William Alexander: An Amazing Journey Following The British Embassy'. The post was written by Ruixian Zhang, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 3 September 2019. This audio version is read by Gill Stoker, who is a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Ruixian traces the journey made in 1792 by the first British Embassy to China. William Alexander was a young draftsman who was recruited to join the embassy and record its trip: copies of drawings and engravings by Alexander are now kept in The Courtauld's Witt Library of art. Alexander's drawings, together with diary extracts by members of the embassy, give an insight into British-Chinese relations in the eighteenth-century, and show the beginnings of a struggle for power between the two countries as Britain sought to relentlessly and ruthlessly expand its trading empire.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'On Visiting the British Library's Imaging Studios'. The post was written by Carol Budd, a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 9 June 2017. This audio version is read by Bill Bryant, who is also a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Carol recounts a visit to the British Library's imaging studios. Volunteers at the Courtauld frequently visit other digitisation projects, to put our project into context, and find out more about the wider world of digital preservation and archives, and open access. The British Library kindly organised a host of talks during the visit, and volunteers heard from Fiona Clancy, Studio Manager, and Stella Wisdom and Rossitza Atanassova, Digital Curators. Did you know? The British Library are digitising their own collections, which include sound and websites, and they also offer services to other organisations and for commercial purposes. Listen to find out more!

This is the audio version of the blog post 'London's Hanging Gardens of Babylon: the Alexandra Road Estate Then and Now'. The post was written by Florence Heyworth, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 2 October 2020. This audio version is read by Ellie, a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Florence looks at the history of the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate, which was designed by Neave Brown for Camden Council in 1968. Known often as simply 'Alexandra Road', the estate became instantly iconic, and has featured in a number of films and music videos. However, the building of the estate ran into problems, and although it has many fans, the fame of the estate also has its downsides. Combining images from the Conway Library, from social media, and with reference to interviews with residents and news stories about the estate, Florence examines the changing fortunes of this unmistakable and ambitious post-war landscape. Her blog also includes a collage by Bella Watts and Florence Heyworth, which combines an illustration by Latheev Deepan Kolad and a Conway Library photograph. 

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Anthony Kersting "Nassau, Bahamas, Chelsea Pottery"'. The post was written by Lorraine Stoker, a volunteer with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 18 September 2020. This audio version is read by Anne Hutchings, a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Lorraine examines a single photograph by Anthony Kersting. The photograph catches Lorraine's eye for the sheer array of different sculptures that are on show, and Kersting has captured a young artist sitting amongst the statues, glazing a plate. On the back of the print is Kersting's annotation: "Nassau, Bahamas, Chelsea Pottery". This clue sets Lorraine off to discover the name of the artist at work - Maxwell Taylor - and she explores Taylor's life and work since Kersting took his photograph in the 1960s.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Utopia Or Incubator? Le Corbusier’s L’Unité D’Habitation As Photographed By Lucien Hervé'. The post was written by Mia Gainsford, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 10 January 2020. This audio version is read by Francesca Humi, a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Mia explores the resonances of the alternative names given to Le Corbusier’s L’Unité D’Habitation building in Marseille, France. For some, it is 'la maison du fada', or 'the madman's house', while for others it is 'the radiant city'. In the Conway library, many photographs of the building are by Lucien Hervé, who captures people in his images (unusual for most of the architectural photographs in the collection). Children play in the building's stairwells and rooftops, while adults recline on modernist furniture, gazing out of the windows. Mia examines how Hervé may have focussed on the children precisely to explore the reception of Le Corbusier's controversial building: are children innocent victims of the 'madman', his playmates, or living in a blissful utopia?

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Emerging from the emulsion: Milton Hall Chinoiserie'. The post was written by Faye Fornasier, who is the Digitisation Manager with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 26 May 2017. This audio version is read by Christopher Williams, a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Faye examines a beautiful photograph of an ornate bedroom, taken by Anthony Frank Kersting in the 1950s. The entire space is lavishly decorated, with different colours and textures suggested even in the black and white photograph. Looking closely at the digitised photograph, touching scenes - as well as reminders of empire - may be seen in the Chinoiserie wallpaper.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Worker/Housewife: Designing The Frankfurt Kitchen'. The post was written by Victoria Bennett, who is the Digitisation Assistant with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 25 September 2020. This audio version is read by Celia Cockburn, a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog, Victoria weighs up the revolutionary, yet conservative, ideals behind the 'Frankfurt Kitchen'. In the mid-1920s in Frankfurt, Germany saw a desperate housing shortage. In 1925, architect and city planner Ernst May was employed to head a new social housing project, known as the New Frankfurt, which would see the construction of 10,000 new homes for the working classes. He enlisted the help of Margarete Schutte-Lihotzky – Austria’s first female architect and fellow efficiency advocate – to design a new and thoroughly modern kitchen, befitting of this vision for ideal social housing. 

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Wings and Wheels'. The post was written by Evie Mc, who is a volunteer with Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 6 November 2017. This audio version is read by Ellie, another digitisation volunteer.

In this blog Evie delves into the symbolism of a print from the Courtauld's collection. A surreal scene of figures with many heads and wings gliding over waters accompanied by enormous wheels covered in eyes leads Evie to explore biblical passages. Evie also uncovers the meaning of the names and abbreviations at the bottom of the image, and explores some of the other works done by the same artist and engraver.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'The Illegible Kersting'. The post was written by Lorraine Stoker, who is a volunteer with Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 10 January 2018. This audio version is read by Anne Hutchings, another digitisation volunteer.

In this blog Lorraine introduces us to Anthony Kersting's hand written ledger books. Kersting had a meticulous system of numbering all his prints and negatives, and keeping ledger books where you can look up the number, and find a short description. The slight problem is, sometimes his handwriting can be rather difficult to decipher! Lorraine recounts the epic quest she embarked on to solve on mystery of an unidentifiable country house: tracing clues through local and national archives and consulting art and architecture experts along the way. Listen to find out how Lorraine cracked this case.

This is the audio version of the blog post '“North Iraq, A Yezidi Girl”: Memory And Forgetting In The Kersting Photographic Archive'. The post was written and read by Brittany Ellis, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 27 March 2020.

In this blog Brittany reflects on Anthony Kersting's photographs of people taken in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan in the 1940s. Brittany is an anthropologist and archaeologist, which leads her to focus on the histories and contexts, material properties, and the silences in these photographs. She wonders about Kersting's methods and intentions, how subjects felt about being photographed, the colonial gaze represented in the images, and the strange silences that the photographs conjure. She also queries what the future holds for the photos: now that they are being digitised, perhaps the communities that they represent will be able to access the portraits and have a say over their presentation.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'The Strand Statues'. The post was written by Leonora Monson, who did a student placement with the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 24 January 2020. The audio version is read by David Brown, a digitisation volunteer.

In this blog Leonora explains the story of commission, controversy, and iconoclasm surrounding Jacob Epstein's statues on the Strand. Designed for and installed on what was the British Medical Association's building at 429 Strand, the statues showing human forms of birth, life, and death quickly generated a public debate, which resulted in some statues being damaged and removed. The Conway Library collection includes photographs of the statues in Epstein's studio, in situ on the Strand, and in their final home across the Atlantic...

This is the audio version of the blog post 'On Northampton Architecture And Mr Bassett-Lowke'. The post was written and read by Jane Macintyre, who is a volunteer for the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 22 May 2019.

In this blog (one of a pair) Jane explores gems of Northampton architecture and interior design. This post focusses on Northampton businessman W.J. Bassett-Lowke (1877–1953). He is perhaps best known as the man behind the development of the UK’s model railway industry. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of modernism, which led him to commission two leading architects of the early 20th century to design his homes: Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Peter Behrens. Jane examines photographs of the houses that are held in the Conway Library, and reflects on the changing tastes of the Bassett-Lowkes.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'On Meeting HRH The Princess Royal'. The post was written and read by Jane Macintyre, who is a  volunteer for the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 16 June 2017.

In this blog, Jane recounts the day that HRH the Princess Royal visited The Courtauld Gallery and the Institute in her role as Chancellor of the University of London. This included dropping in to see the progress of the (then brand new!) digitisation project. Photographs of the Princess’s home, Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, are held in the collection, as are other photographs of royal interest, such as images of Olympics venues including the Athens Arena from 1896, the first Olympics of modern times.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'On Northampton Architecture: The Guildhall'. The post was written and read by Jane Macintyre, who is a volunteer for the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 11 March 2019.

In this blog (one of a pair) Jane explores gems of Northampton architecture and interior design. This post focusses on the ornate Guildhall building, a stunning example of high Victorian Gothic revival by architect E.W. Godwin, completed in 1864. Jane examines how small details of the building reflect stories of Northampton's industry and leisure.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Collecting Stories Workshop'. The post was written by Faye Fornasier, Digitisation Manager for the Courtauld Connects Conway Library digitisation project. It was first published on 18 August 2017. The audio version is read by Digitisation Volunteer Celia Cockburn.

This is the audio version of the blog post 'Anthony Frank Kersting, Canary Wharf, And The Removal Of The Fat Cat'. The post was written by Jessie Palmer, who did a student placement with the digitisation project, and was first published on 15 August 2019. The audio version is read by digitisation volunteer David Brown.

In this blog, Jessie goes hunting for the 'Fat Cat' in the Conway library. Unsurprisingly for the secretive world of finance, she finds that the Fat Cat in human form is nowhere to be seen. However, Jessie explains how four photographs by Anthony Kersting of the Canary Wharf estate may provide some insight into the psychology big business.