I’m bowled over by the striking images of Albert Kahn, in the BBC’s Edwardians in Colour series on BBC 4.
Kahn’s objective was a colour photographic Archive of the Planet, taken between 1908 and 1930.
This is the BBC at it’s best. Supporting Kahn’s images and film are wonderfully knowledgeable academics shedding light on the societies captured. The accompanying music soundtrack is suitably haunting to the faraway look in the eyes of the some of the people captured on film. Even the narrator – Veronika Hyks – is spot on. Magical stuff.
The Musée Albert-Kahn is yet another reason to go to Paris for a long weekend.
If they’d any sense, the BBC would be marketing a DVD of the series now - I’d buy one, without a second thought, so I could linger over the images.
UPDATE June 2008: Boo hoo! when I was in Paris recently the museum was closed to prepare for a new exhibition. It reopened after I’d returned home.
I did buy the BBC book’The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn’ as a birthday present recently, which went down well - £35, a bit pricey, but then it’s 336 pages and hundred’s of photo’s. [It's cheaper on Amazon].
It’s the pictures that are captivating, and so to get another fix of them, take a look at over 70 of them on flickr HERE.
I heard there is an Albert-Kahn museum in Paris. He’s just out a subway station: line 10. Boulogne – Pont-de-Saint-Cloud. It’s open every day except monday. And the entrance is just 1,50 euros. More than photograph’s exhibition, there are also beautiful gardens. A real paradise on earth.
By: pronier on July 9, 2007
at 2:42 pm
pronier, thank you, thank you.
I’ve a vist to Brussels planned soon, with a few days stopover in Paris, it’s on my itinerary of places to visit. Your information is most helpful.
Tim
By: timdodds on July 9, 2007
at 5:27 pm
Is there an online collection of his work anywhere?
By: Colin on July 17, 2007
at 2:41 pm
Colin,
Apologies for lateness of reply – had a lot on.
No compiliation DVD is published that I’m aware of. I think I’ll write to the BBC and suggest it – and see what they say. I’ll keep you posted on deelopments
Tim
By: timdodds on July 20, 2007
at 6:28 pm
[...] This is magical TV as I described HERE. [...]
By: Don’t miss the second chance to see… « Lightwater on November 18, 2007
at 8:29 pm
[...] previous posts on the subject HERE and HERE, if you’re [...]
By: Grrrr! No DVD of Edwardians in Colour « Lightwater on November 20, 2007
at 1:08 pm
I know this post was written quite some time ago, but if you are still interested, there is a book coming out of the photographs and you can see a selection of them online now at http://www.albertkahn.co.uk
By: Katie on April 15, 2008
at 2:49 pm
Katie,
Fantastic. This will be my staple birthday and christmas present to friends and family, until they’ve all recieved one.
Thank you Katie for informing me.
Tim
By: timdodds on April 16, 2008
at 1:22 pm
[...] My better half has HERE on her agenda in Paris [transalte the page in Google to find out more], while I have HERE on my agenda. Readers here will know I’m hooked on THIS. [...]
By: Visiting my MEP in Brussels « Lightwater on June 3, 2008
at 2:37 pm
Does anyone know whether the stately, haunting music repeated regularly in Edwardians in Colour is available to buy?
John
By: john on November 11, 2008
at 10:52 am
John,
Like you I’d benefit from knowing where to get hold of the music. One way is to ask the BBC directly. Good luck in chasing it down.
T
By: timdodds on November 13, 2008
at 1:27 pm
[...] you be interested in my earlier posts on the subject, here are a couple, Edwardians in Colour – magical TV UPDATED, then Evocative and [...]
By: Albert Kahn - his autochromes to view online « Lightwater on February 24, 2009
at 3:23 pm