Amgueddfa Cymru welcomes new collection in memory of former Director General
Amgueddfa Cymru yn croesawu casgliad newydd er cof am gyn-Gyfarwyddwr Cyffredinol
Amgueddfa Cymru has welcomed a new collection in memory of our former Director General, Colin Ford CBE HonFRPS who sadly died on Sunday, 21 December, at the age of 91.
Mr Ford was the Director General of Amgueddfa Cymru from 1993 to 1998. He was a curator, historian, museum director and broadcaster, whose professional life was largely dedicated to photography.
He set the precedent for developing photography as a distinct discipline in art museums and galleries, bringing it to the central position it now holds in British cultural life.
Before his death, Mr Ford gifted his personal collection of photography books, which reflects a lifetime’s worth of collecting, to Amgueddfa Cymru. The collection will be named the Colin Ford Photography Library (titled Llyfrgell Ffotograffiaeth Colin Ford in Welsh).
Mr Ford’s gift was in recognition of Amgueddfa Cymru’s commitment to photography, including its ambition to build a world-class photography collection, and deliver a rolling programme of photography exhibitions within a dedicated photography gallery at National Museum Cardiff.
Given his relationship to the museum and his support for the photography programme, Colin felt that Amgueddfa Cymru was an appropriate home for such an important collection.
The library comprises of monographs, exhibition catalogues, and reference texts related to the history of photography. The library also reflects Mr. Ford’s long-standing interest in Hungarian photography, of which he was an internationally recognised expert.
The collection covers subjects from the 19th century to the present day, including numerous titles related to photographers such as Bill Brandt, Angus McBean, Don McCullin, Eve Arnold, Josef Koudelka, Robert Capa, Martine Franck, Felix Man and Phillip Jones Griffiths.
In addition to the library, Colin Ford’s family have set up an endowment fund in his memory to support Amgueddfa Cymru to continue to build the library into the future.
In lieu of flowers, Colin’s family kindly request donations to the endowment fund and sincerely appreciate all contributions.
With Mr Ford’s funeral held on Monday, 19 January, the flag at the National Museum Cardiff will be flown at half-mast.
Senior Curator of Photography at Amgueddfa Cymru, Bronwen Colquhoun said:
"The Colin Ford Photography Library represents decades' worth of collecting by a distinguished photography curator and scholar. We are so grateful to Colin and his family for this significant gift which will transform our current holdings of photography books. The fund set up in his memory will enable us to build his Library to reflect photographic trends, practice and scholarship now and into the future."
Notes to editors
About Colin Ford:
Colin John Ford CBE (born 1934) was a British photographic curator, historian of photography, and former museum director. In 1972, he was appointed as Keeper of Film and Photography at the National Portrait Gallery, becoming the first curator of photography in any British museum or gallery.
In 1982 he became the founding director of the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFT) in Bradford, known today as the National Science and Media Museum. He then became Director of Amgueddfa Cymru in 1993 – the same year he received his CBE.
During his time at Amgueddfa Cymru, Colin Ford was heavily involved in updating the corporate branding of the museum and helped developed the icons logo, which was then used on letterheads, envelopes and stationery.
He also promoted photographic exhibitions, with one memorable exhibition held at National Museum Cardiff on the work of American photographer Annie Leibovitz. Mr Ford was also instrumental in setting an actors’ group at Cathays Park that interpreted exhibitions with dramatic performances to promote learning.
Ford curated numerous photography exhibitions and wrote extensively on historic photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron, Lewis Carroll and Hill and Adamson. He was also a specialist on Hungarian photography.
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