Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC) is a defunct organisation in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

that commissioned new research into

photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...

and

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

, curated and produced exhibitions and publications, organised seminars, study days, symposia and conferences, and supervises PhD students. It is a part of

University of the Arts London The University of the Arts London is a public collegiate university in London, England, United Kingdom. It specialises in arts, design, fashion, and the performing arts. The university is a federation of six arts colleges: Camberwell College of ...

(UAL), is based at UAL's

London College of Communication The London College of Communication is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. Its origins are in education for the printing and retail industries; it now specialises in media-related subjects including advertising, animation ...

Elephant & Castle Elephant and Castle is an area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark. The name also informally refers to much of Walworth and Newington, due to the proximity of the London Underground station of the same name. The nam ...

and was founded in 2003 by Val Williams and Julian Rodriguez. PARC was closed after twenty years of operating in 2023. According to PARC's website its activities span the history and culture of photography, particularly post-war British photography, the documentation of war and conflict, the photography of fashion and style, the visualization of the counterculture and photographers as filmmakers.

Details

Val Williams Val Williams is a British curator and author who has become an authority on British photography. She is the Professor of the History and Culture of Photography at the London College of Communication, part of the University of the Arts London, an ...

is its director and Brigitte Lardinois its deputy director. The Centre has a core group of members including

Tom Hunter Sir Thomas Blane Hunter (born 6 May 1961) is a Scottish businessman and philanthropist. Sports Division Hunter set up his first business after graduating from the University of Strathclyde as he was, in his own words, "unemployable". With a ...

, Alistair O'Neill,

Patrick Sutherland Major Patrick Sutherland served as commander at Fort Edward and then became one of the founding fathers of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He remained in command at Lunenburg until his death 15 years after establishing the town (c. 1768). He helped the ...

, Wiebke Leister, Jennifer Good (née Pollard), David Moore,

Paul Lowe Paul Edward Lowe (born September 27, 1936) is an American former professional football player who was a halfback in the American Football League (AFL), primarily with the Los Angeles / San Diego Chargers. A four-time All-AFL selection and two ...

, Corinne Silva, Paul Tebbs, Mark Ingham, Martina Caruso, Peter Cattrell, Monica Biaglioli, Anne Williams, Jananne Al-Ani,

Sophy Rickett Sophy Rickett (born 22 September 1970) is a visual artist, working with photography and video/sound installation. She lives and works in London. Career Sophy Rickett was born in London. Between 1990 and 1993, she studied for a BA (Hons) in Photo ...

, Joanna Love and Sara Davidmann. Current staff are Corinne Silva (Research Fellow), Robin Christian (Projects Manager) and Melanie King (Research Administrator). Many of PARC's activities are conducted in conjunction with other arts organisations and universities including

University of Sunderland The University of Sunderland is a public research university located in Sunderland in the North East of England. Its predecessor, Sunderland Technical College, was established as a municipal training college in 1901. It gained university status ...

National Media Museum The National Science and Media Museum (formerly The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, 1983–2006 and then the National Media Museum, 2006–2017), located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is part of the national Science Museum ...

in Bradford,

Library of Birmingham The Library of Birmingham is a public library in Birmingham, England. It is situated on the west side of the city centre at Centenary Square, beside the Birmingham Rep (to which it connects, and with which it shares some facilities) and Baske ...

Canterbury Christ Church University Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is a Public university, public research university located in Canterbury, Kent, England. Founded as a Church of England college for teacher training in 1962, it was granted university status in 2005. ...

, Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow,

Wolverhampton Art Gallery Wolverhampton Art Gallery is located in Wolverhampton, England. The building was funded and constructed by local contractor Philip Horsman (1825–1890), and built on land provided by the municipal authority. It opened in May 1884. The buildi ...

Ffotogallery Ffotogallery is the national development agency for photography in Wales. It was established in 1978 and since June 2019 has been based in Cathays, Cardiff. It also commissions touring exhibitions nationally and internationally. Its current dire ...

in Cardiff,

Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...

in London,

Photoworks Photoworks is a UK development agency dedicated to photography, based in Brighton and Hove, Brighton, England and founded in 1995.

in Brighton,

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

in Canada, Expressions of Humankind and Max Ström publishers in Stockholm, Sune Jonsson Archive in Umea, Tate Modern and

University of Wales, Newport The University of Wales, Newport (), was a public university based in Newport, Wales, Newport, South Wales, before the merger that formed the University of South Wales in April 2013. The university was founded as a mechanics' institute in 1841 ...

. Two of PARC's divisions are War and Conflict Research Hub and Photography and the Contemporary Imaginary Research Hub. PARC publishes ''Fieldstudy'' twice yearly, both in print and online, covering projects from PARC's staff, members and students. PARC and Bloomsbury co-host the journal ''Photography & Culture'', co-edited by Kathy Kubicki, Thy Phu and Val Williams, published three times a year by Berg. PARC leads the ''Directory of Photographic Collections in the UK'', a portal to UK institutions holding publicly accessible photographic collections.

Collections held within the Photography and the Archive Research Centre

PARC currently houses three collections within its archive, ‘Camerawork’, ‘Photography Exhibition Posters’ and ‘The John Wall archive of the Directory of British Photographic Collections in the UK’. 'Photography Exhibition Posters' is a collection of over 300 posters dating back to the 1970s that features examples of partnerships between designers and galleries. The ‘Camerawork’ collection includes papers and objects from the Half Moon Photography Workshop and Camerawork’s early years, publication and touring exhibition programme. ‘The John Wall archive of the Directory of British Photographic Collections in the UK’ includes correspondence, research papers and file cards of this 1970s project.

Selected exhibitions organised by PARC

*2002-2005: ''Retrospective, Martin Parr Photoworks 1971–2000'',

Barbican Arts Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings an ...

, London, 2002. National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television, Bradford, 2002.

Kunsthal The Kunsthal (; ) is an art space in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It opened in 1992. Overview The museum is situated in the Museumpark of Rotterdam next to the Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, and in the vicinity of the Museum Boijmans Van Beu ...

, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2003.

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía The ''Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía'' ("Queen Sofía National Museum Art Centre"; MNCARS) is Spain's national museum of 20th-century art. The museum was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992, and is named for Queen Sofía. I ...

, Madrid, 2003.

National Museum of Photography The National Museum of Photography (''Nationale Fotomuseum'') is located in the Black Diamond, a modern waterfront extension to the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen. History The National Museum of Photography, founded in 1996, moved into its c ...

, Copenhagen, 2003.

Deichtorhallen The Deichtorhallen in Hamburg, Germany, is one of Europe's largest art centers for contemporary art and photography. The two historical buildings dating from 1911 to 1913 are notable examples of industrial architecture from the transitional period ...

, Hamburg, 2004. ''Works 1971–2001'',

Maison Européenne de la Photographie Maison (French for "house") may refer to: People * Edna Maison (1892–1946), American silent-film actress * Jérémy Maison (born 1993), French cyclist * Leonard Maison, New York state senator 1834–1837 * Nicolas Joseph Maison (1771–1840), M ...

, Paris, 2005. Curated by Val Williams and organized by Brigitte Lardinois. Photographs from the 1970s to 2001 from his series ''Butlins by the Sea'', ''June Street'', ''Home Sweet Home'', ''The Last Resort'', ''The Cost of Living'', ''Small World'' and ''Autoportraits''. *2006: ''Magnum Ireland''. Research into the

Magnum Photos Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in Paris, New York City, London and Tokyo. It was founded in 1947 in Paris by photographers Robert Capa, David Seymour (photographer), Davi ...

archive by Val Williams with Brigitte Lardinois resulting in an exhibition at the

Irish Museum of Modern Art The Irish Museum of Modern Art (), also known as IMMA, is Ireland's leading national institution for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art. It is located in Kilmainham, Dublin. History Irish art collector Gordon Lam ...

, Dublin. *2013: ''A Day In The World'' curated by Val Williams, Brigitte Lardinois and Marcus Eriksson for the EOH Foundation at

Kulturhuset House of Culture (Swedish: Kulturhuset) is a cultural center situated to the south of Sergels torg in central Stockholm, Sweden. The House of Culture has been described as a symbol for Stockholm as well as of the growth of modernism in Sweden. ...

Stockholm. *2014: ''Life on the Road'' with photography from

and Dave Fawcett, films by Andrew Gaston and curated by Val Williams at

, London. *2014: ''Daniel Meadows: Early Photographic Works''. A Retrospective exhibition curated by Val Williams at the

and touring to National Media Museum, Bradford;

, Cardiff.

Exhibitions at PARCSpace

*2014: ''Camerawork: Posters and Objects from the Archive.'' *2014: ''Ken To Be Destroyed'' by Sara Davidmann. *2014: ''Paper Topographies'' by

. *2014: ''Single Saudi Women''. Photographs by Wasma Mansour.2014 Single Saudi Women
, PARC. Accessed 5 August 2014.

Publications originating at PARC

*''Derek Ridgers: When We Were Young: Club and Street Portraits 1978–1987.'' Brighton: Photoworks, 2005. . Photographs by

Derek Ridgers Derek Ridgers (born 20 October 1950) is a British photographer known for his photography of music, film and club/street culture. He has photographed people including James Brown, the Spice Girls, Clint Eastwood and Johnny Depp, as well as polit ...

, text by Val Williams. About the emergence of new style cultures in London in the late 1970s and early 1980s.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. * '' Anna Fox Photographs 1983–2007.'' Brighton: Photoworks, 2005. . Edited by Val Williams. With texts by David Chandler, Val Williams, Jason Evans and Mieke Bal.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Magnum Ireland.'' London: Thames & Hudson, 2005. . Edited by Val Williams with Brigitte Lardinois. *''Glyndebourne, a Visual History.'' London:

Quercus An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

, 2009. . Edited by Val Williams and Brigitte Lardinois. Includes an essay by George Christie. *''The New Gypsies.'' Frankfurt, Germany:

Prestel Prestel was the Brand#Brand names and trademark, brand name of a videotex service launched in the UK in 1979 by BT Group#Post Office Telecommunications, Post Office Telecommunications, a division of the British Post Office Limited#History, Po ...

. By Ian McKell.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. Essay by Val Williams. **Hardback, 2010. . **Paperback, 2014. *''Daniel Meadows: Edited Photographs from the 70s and 80s.'' Brighton: Photoworks, 2011. . Authored by Val Williams. Edited by Val Williams and Gordon MacDonald. *''I belong Jarrow.'' Amsterdam: Schilt, 2012. . Photographs by Chris Harrison. Essay by Val Williams. *''Marjolaine Ryley: Growing up in the New Age.'' Hillsborough, NC: Daylight Press, 2013. . Essays by Malcolm Dickson (StreetLevel Photoworks), Brigitte Ryley, Peter Ryley, Val Williams. Additional photographs by Dave Walking. *''Martin Parr'', Phaidon, 2014. . Authored by Val Williams. *''Sune Jonsson'': Life and Work. MaxStrom, Stockholm. Text by Val Williams

Fieldstudy

*''Fieldstudy 1'' London: Stories.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 2.'' *''Fieldstudy 3: Charged Atmospheres.'' London: PARC. By Alison Merchant.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 4: Unfolding the Tissue: The Fashion and the Archive Study Day.'' London: PARC.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 5: Archives from the New British Photography'' London: PARC.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 6: Private Museum.'' London: PARC. Researched by Val Williams and Lorna Crabbe, photographed by Laura Thomas.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 7: Marjolaine Ryley: Résidence Astral: 1993-2005.'' London: PARC. Photographs taken over a twelve-year period in her grandmother's apartment in Brussels.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 8: MAP Reading.'' London: PARC. Catalogue of work from LCC's MA in Photography, 2006The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 10: Visible'' London: PARC.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 11: Lovers, Liars & Laughter.'' London: PARC by Wiebke Leister.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 12: Fashion & Food'' London: PARC.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 14: Daniel Meadows, Butlin's by the Sea, 1972.'' London: PARC.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 15: Growing Up in the New Age.'' London: PARC, 2011. By Val Williams, Marjolaine Ryley (University of Sunderland) and Dave Walking. Features photographs by Dave Walking and essays by Val Williams, Marjolaine Ryley, Zoe Lippett and Malcolm Dickson.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site. *''Fieldstudy 16: From a Distance.'' London: PARC. Photographs by

Paul Reas Paul Reas (born 1955) is a British Social documentary photography, social documentary photographer and university lecturer. He is best known for photographing consumerism in Britain in the 1980s and 1990s. Reas has produced the books ''I Can He ...

. *''Fieldstudy 19: Ken. To be Destroyed.'' London: PARC, 2013.The publication is reproduce
here
within PARC's site.

Notes

References

External links

Directory of Photographic Collections in the UK
which is led by PARC
PARC's page at University of the Arts London
{{coords, 51.4945, -0.1010, display=title British photography organisations Arts organisations based in the United Kingdom 2004 establishments in England Arts organizations established in 2004 Culture in London Photo archives in the United Kingdom