Granted my job
is in photography division at National Geographic, so it is a given that I am fascinated by the medium,
but autochromes are among my favorites. They’re extremely rare, as were only made for a limited time, and the photography method has a real presence and character. It is almost a hybrid of a painting
and photography. A new exhibit from the National Geographic Image Collection, which opened yesterday at the Steven Kasher Gallery in New York, displays autochromes that have never before
been publicly viewed (and some have rarely been seen even by the staff!). The show runs through through July 10.
Autochrome Lumière was an early color process that involved glass plates coated with dyed potato starch. In July 1914, they were the
first natural color photographs to appear in National Geographic. They offer a fascinating look at history, and it is fun to see a
process that was so simple compared to today’s digital cameras. (In fact, the image sensors in digital cameras today use a Bayer filter, which is in many ways works like the dyed starch grains in autochrome plates.) I love that you can literally see the pigmented grains of
potato in the photos, and the photos themselves are a wonderful glimpse at the
early parts of the last century–around the world. In good National Geographic
form, the photos are from all over the globe.
–Taylor Kennedy, National Geographic Image Collection
Photography – National Geographic Society – National Geographic – Arts – Organizations
