1970s TV programs about photographers and photography

[Stephen Johnson]

Hope somebody can help me with the details of a TV show broadcast in the UK in the (I think) mid to late 1970s in the UK.

It covered photographers such as Ernst Hass amongst many others.

I remember the presenter was very good and the programs were excellent. I was particularly taken at the time that the photographs were very well presented on the screen as the presenter talked about them (Perhaps some good rostrum work by the real life Ken Burns?).

Would love to know the name of the program and the presenters name. I did meet the presenter in the early 1990s at work in Tony Stone images when Tony brought him around the imaging department but I cannot for the life of me remember his name.

I have searched the web and Youtube and found nothing, hopefully some other 50+ year old will remember and put me out of my misery.

Any help gratefully received.

Stephen

 

[Box Brownie]

The only program I recall from some time back was a series hosted by I think an American photographer.............wracks brains........James Nikon (probably only close as cannot find him by googling but think I recall he called Nikon cameras N'eye'kon not N'nick'kon)

Thinks.........was program called Nokon on Photography???

 

[joxby]

Don't remember the program but there's an obvious name that springs to mind from your post, Gene Nocon

 

[Box Brownie]

Don't remember the program but there's an obvious name that springs to mind from your post, Gene Nocon

I think you have ID'ed the name and program I recall, found a picture or two of him and he is the oriental looking guy I recalled and found this:-

Article https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gene-nocon-zsb7nbf3fsh

"His popularity and zeal for photography led to his own television series, Nocon on Photography, made for Thames Television." So bar the name spelling I at least recalled the program name OK

Is this the one that the OP @Stephen Johnson is thinking of ??? As Nocon was a printer the OP's mention of a tour of the imaging department might make sense/logic?

PS cannot yet find any 'tubes' of the program but there are few videos of Nocon here https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=n...5s7bAhVLfMAKHdcRB0UQ_AUIDCgD&biw=1680&bih=919

 

[Stephen Johnson]

Thanks for trying Box Brownie and Joxby, I started watching a video with Gene Nocon and have saved it to watch later so that's an interesting diversion to look forward to.

The program Im thinking of had a presenter with I think a gentle Irish accent. It may have been broadcast late or on BBC2 so perhaps not many people saw it. A pity because it really went into the pictures..

S

 

[Box Brownie]

Thanks for trying Box Brownie and Joxby, I started watching a video with Gene Nocon and have saved it to watch later so that's an interesting diversion to look forward to.

The program Im thinking of had a presenter with I think a gentle Irish accent. It may have been broadcast late or on BBC2 so perhaps not many people saw it. A pity because it really went into the pictures..

S

If talking of the '70s was it maybe an OU program or two??? They were late night and on BBC2

 

[Bythesea]

Are you thinking of Master Photographers? It might be a bit later than the one you are thinking of and as I recall featured six great photographers. It was a BBC programme and I have a couple of the books that went with the series - "Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt" and "Kertesz on Kertesz". Just found a Youtube playlist for the six episodes -

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdCq-1MJmHw&list=PLFnHr5CMeqHwnJ4Lq7CRn24G15du9hT3m

 

[Stephen Johnson]

Thanks for posting Bythsea, these look like fascinating programs - will certainly be going through these.

I did wonder if the programs were early 80s (it was some time ago) but the ones I remember had more "to the camera" talking by the presenter as well as voice over as the images were shown.

 

[Bythesea]

I obviously have too much time on my hands! Just been searching and came across a BBC book called Exploring Photography by Bryn Campbell from 1978, and it is listed in the bibliography of Ernst Haas.. As it was a BBC book it is likely that there was a programme related to it, though I can't find any trace of the videos online. The book is available second-hand for 26p (plus postage) though - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exploring-Photography-Bryn-Campbell/dp/0563162600

Also just found this - https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5c3af79b059a41f29c1fa2613f460f94

 

[Stephen Johnson]

Ah! Bryn Campbell! of course!

Many thanks for finding this Bythesea, that's exactly the program I remember!

Such a shame they are not on Youtube or anywhere else, I will see if I can get in touch with Bryn and find out what's happening with them, would love to watch them again and Im sure they would find a new audience also.

Glad I joined talkphotography!

All the best

Stephen

 

[Box Brownie]

I obviously have too much time on my hands! Just been searching and came across a BBC book called Exploring Photography by Bryn Campbell from 1978, and it is listed in the bibliography of Ernst Haas.. As it was a BBC book it is likely that there was a programme related to it, though I can't find any trace of the videos online. The book is available second-hand for 26p (plus postage) though - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exploring-Photography-Bryn-Campbell/dp/0563162600

Also just found this - https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5c3af79b059a41f29c1fa2613f460f94

I recall reading that the beeb had a habit of re-recording over the very expensive early(?) video tapes...... especially of programs seen as having little need for archiving so quite unlikely that they have any to put into public domain. Though possibly someone somewhere has some on VHS or BetaMax that might see the YouTube light of day one day???

But you never know?

 

[Retune]

This site is down at the moment (should be back by 9PM):

http://bufvc.ac.uk/dvdfind/index.php/title/7252

But see results from the Google cache below. The price and distributor suggest the VHS wasn't a normal commercial release, but the sort of thing sold to educational institutions in small quantities (maybe they copy this stuff on demand?).


Exploring Photography (6 Parts)

...
Medium
Video; Videocassette. VHS. col. 6 x 25 min.
Year of production
1978
Availability
Sale; 1998 sale: £65.00 (+VAT +p&p) each 1998 sale: £180.00 (+VAT +p&p) series
Notes
Reviewed in British Council VFR 98
Name
BBC Television
...

Distributor
Name
BBC Active Video for Learning
Contact
Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)
Email
bbcactivevideoforlearning@pearson.com
Web
http://www.bbcactivevideoforlearning.com/ External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7010 2751 or 2760
Fax
020 7010 6965
Address
Mezzanine
80 Strand
London
WC2R 0RL
Notes
BBC Active is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’

 

[st599]

For all listings of UK TV, the BBC genome project has digitised every copy of the radio times.