It has been some time since I was last in touch, but I thought you would like to know about couple of exciting developments relating to my book: Face: Shape and Angle: Helen Muspratt Photographer.
I am very pleased to tell you that the Bodleian Library in Oxford have indicated that they would like to receive the archive of her work, now residing in my attic, including over 500 original prints, surviving negatives and related documents. I have begun cataloging the prints and am beginning to realise what a huge task this is, but it will be an enormous relief to hand over the collection to an institution who will look after the work and make it available to scholars and researchers for future generations. I am extremely grateful to the Bodleian – Helen would be amazed that her work is to reside in one of the worlds most prestigious libraries and the fact that it is in Oxford where she lived and had her studio is an added bonus. It comes as a wonderful endorsement of Helen’s importance in the history of Twentieth Century photography.
There is a possibility that they will also hold an accompanying exhibition in their new exhibition space in the Western Library. I have always wanted to have exhibitions of her work in Oxford and Cambridge so this would be an enormous step towards achieving this.
You may also all be invited to an opening in Moscow!
I have been approached by the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow who have expressed interest in putting on an exhibition of Helen’s work. Robin and I were in Moscow in May 2017 and went to this museum which is the equivalent of our Photographer’s Gallery. It is a lovely building and we would be thrilled if they decide to go ahead but it is early days. I have been concentrating on cataloging her images of the Soviet Union which she visited in 1936 and hope that this will help when and if things develop. Watch this space.