Bibliography

Aberglasney 1995


Bibliographical Details and Influences:

When I began this project in 1995/96 I did not realize just how much of my time it would take up. The actuality of photographing the houses only makes up a small proportion of the time. The rest of the time is spent researching, locating and planning the trips to the houses. I have used many, many books as reference but poor planning on my behalf meant I did not always write down the sources of much of the information included on this website. (Almost, perhaps, unforgivable since I've spent four years a student and a further ten years working in academic libraries!) I now intend to do this, although it may take some time to find all my reference sources. I have also included other books by particular photographers’ who have influenced me. I urge you to seek out the works of these photographers, their individual styles are always in the forefront of my mind when I am taking photographs.


Bibliography:

Books
The Lost Houses of Wales – Thomas Lloyd
The Companion Guide to South Wales – Elizabeth Beazley & Peter Howell
The Companion Guide to North Wales - Elizabeth Beazley & Peter Howell
Forgotten Welsh Houses – Michael Tree & Mark Baker
Houses of the Welsh Countryside – Peter Smith
Glamorgan – The Greater Houses - The Royal Commission
Peterwell – Bethan Phillips
About Aberpergwm - Elizabeth F. Belcham
Peacocks in Paradise – Elisabeth Inglis-Jones
Shell Guides to Wales series
Tours in Wales 1811 – Richard Fenton
Wild Wales – George Borrows
A Tour in Wales – Thomas Pennant
Good Men and True - Erwyd Howells
The Welsh House - Iorwerth Cyfeiliog Peate
Ordnance Survey Pathfinder & Landranger series maps

Pevesner Architectural Guides: The Building of Wales Series. (complete list below)

Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion - Thomas Lloyd, Julian Orbach and Robert Scourfield
Clwyd, - Edward Hubbard
Glamorgan - John Newman
Gwent/Monmouthshire - John Newman
Gwynedd - Richard Haslam, Julian Orbach and Adam Voelcker
Pembrokeshire - Thomas Lloyd, Julian Orbach and Robert Scourfield
Powys - Richard Haslam

Influences:

The Daybooks of Edward Weston
Aaron Siskind; Pleasures and Terrors - Carl Chiarenza
Ghosts Along The Mississippi - Clarence John Laughlin
The Idea of Louis Sullivan - John Szarkowski
Industrial Facades - Bernd Becher & Hilla Becher

Websites:

see 'links' page

Technical Notes:

Photography is both a scientific and creative art form. I have never considered myself a particularly technical photographer. I use certain methods and have used the same film and developer (unless discontinued) for almost twenty years. I am pleased about this and although I have experimented with different processes and various films, paper and chemicals I have always felt they detracted from the subject matter in a photograph rather than enhance.

I also use very little darkroom trickery as possible. I will however add some tone to a featureless sky, if the picture would benefit, and lighten deep shadows if they reveal detail that would enhance the finished print. I like my photography to be simply created. I like the fact that I could, if required, take a photograph and then produce a print without the aid of electricity. I use a battery in my light meter but experience has taught me I could estimate this and I use a bulb in my enlarger but this too could be either replaced with channelled daylight or a contact print of the negative could be made. This makes the photographic process a little more of an organic experience.

This is the reason I continue to use traditional sheet film rather than use a digital camera. I enjoy the procedure; loading film, taking a photograph, unloading film (and then); loading film into a developing tank, developing the film, unloading film from the developing tank (and then); drying the film, placing the film in an enlarger and then finally making the print and watching it under the red safelight forming before your eyes.

The time spent in a darkroom working on a few select negatives remains, for me at least, one of the true pleasures of photography. The excitement of a promising negative that produces a print equal to, and occasionally beyond, that excitement often leaves me laughing as loud as the birds at dawn. When a successful photograph emerges from the fixing chemicals and is quickly washed then examined under daylight and that single image captures everything you had hoped it would capture but then also has some tiny element that increases its brilliance, a photographer then realises that all that purpose, all those 3am starts, all those miles sweating under the weight of equipment, has all been worth much more than worthwhile.

I am not seeking that one true perfect photograph. I am seeking a portfolio of work that I will be content with.


Equipment used:

All photographs taken using Wista 5x4inch field camera with
75mm, 90mm, 135mm, 150mm, 180mm and 210mm Schnieder and Rodenstock lenses.
Printed on De Vere and LPL5451 enlargers.
Ilford film used and processed using Ilford and Kentmere papers.


Thanks

A special thanks must go to the manufacturers of Kentmere Photographic Papers for part sponsoring me on and off for the last 10 years.

A further thanks also to all those people who have emailed and written suggesting potential sites and those people who have given directions whilst I have been out searching for these properties. And, of course, to those who have sent either via email or hard copy images of houses that have been long demolished or properties I simply had no idea existed.



Blaen Blodau 2009


Llanstinan House 2009


Beudiau, Ceredigon 2009


Road to Nanteos 2009