Colour Mania (Victoria and Albert Museum): Photographing the World in Autochrome

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 10 November 2022
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Offering unprecedented access to the V&As remarkable collection of autochromes, a pioneering color photography process, Colour Mania presents this groundbreaking photographic technique in all its vibrant, wondrous, and painterly glory. This captivating exhibition provides a breathtaking glimpse into the early 20th century, showcasing the world in color.

Due to their fragile and light-sensitive nature, autochromes cannot be displayed in public, making this book the sole opportunity to witness the V&As internationally significant collection. Invented by the Lumière brothers, pioneers of cinema, the autochrome was the first widely available color photography process. Upon its commercial release in 1907, it quickly gained popularity among Pictorialist photographers, with Alfred Stieglitz, its leading member, predicting a future "color-mad" world.

With meticulous care, the V&As extensive collection of autochromes has been photographed for this book, making it available to the public for the very first time. Organized thematically and featuring in-depth sections dedicated to the photographers who engaged with this process, Colour Mania is built upon the latest scholarship and research by Catlin Langford. It also delves into the ongoing efforts to preserve these extraordinary photographs for future generations.

Colour Mania offers a unique opportunity to journey back in time and explore a remarkable feat in photographic technology. Whether you have a passion for history, photography, or simply want to experience the past in vibrant color, this exhibition is sure to delight and captivate you.

Weight: 1734g
Dimension: 253 x 302 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780500480762