All this week Ovation is showing the amazing 9-part BBC documentary series ‘The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn’ featuring thousands of stunning Autochromes (the first color process) from around the world at the dawn of the 20th Century. Must see.
From the first episode, ‘A Vision of the World’: “He was a French philanthropist millionaire who sent photographers out to document the vast experience of life on the planet. The immense project brought in over 72,000 color photographs and 100 hours of film footage. In this episode, we’ll learn how this 22 year long project was originally conceived, what cameras were used and the photographic techniques that documented the world of the early to mid 1900s. We’ll find out who Albert Kahn was, and why this project was so close to his heart.”
Above embed from the episode ‘Europe on the Brink’: “In this episode, we’ll follow the travels of Kahn’s commissioned photographer Auguste Leon. In 1910, he set out to survey life in Italy and the Balkans. It was the calm before the storm, as only a few short months would bring on the event that sparked World War I.” (see also: 02 and 03)
See also: episode guides on Ovation
Also also: Albert Kahn on Wikipedia
Also also: view some of the Autochromes
And of course the book: The Dawn of the Color Photograph: Albert Kahn’s Archives of the Planet
Reblogged from CONSTANT SIEGE.
May 06, 2010, 6:09pm
