For Want of Color. Handpainted photography
Darcy Gimaldo Grigsby, Professor
Art History
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My new book is a meditation on the strange tenderness of handcolored photographs. Although I consider professional studio work, I focus on amateur practice of painting directly onto black and white photographs from the 1860s to 1950s. Research entails locating pertinent sources such as paint kits, how-to books and manuals. I have now assembled a large collection of photographs that will be the subject of my book and hopefully a future exhibition.
Role: TASKS: Independent research and collaborative meetings. Inventorying my large collection of handcolored photographs, documenting their country of origin, dates, and inscriptions usually on their backs. Conducting Primary and secondary research online; use of Interlibrary Loan; research of images online. Gathering of bibliography, annotated bibliography and compilation of sources.
Qualifications: My project is wide-ranging and does not require specific expertise. That said, I could use assistance with my Russian, Eastern European and Egyptian handcolored photographs, handcolored African-American photographs and also a group of handcolored photographs of Native American children in Arizona. Students interested in early uses of color in film would also be welcome.
Hours: 3-5 hrs
Arts & Humanities Social Sciences 150 Years of Women at Berkeley