Log in

Percy Grainger and his Kodak

Tue, October 13, 2020 9:51 AM | Anne Ocone (Administrator)

Video by Matthew McGarrell 

To view the video: https://vimeo.com/467176217/4049a70be6

During his long career, Percy Grainger used cameras and film to record events and people in his life, to make pictures for publicity, and, as most people do, to take pictures so as to see what they will look like after they are printed. This video is intended as an introduction to Percy Grainger as a photographer.  After some commentary employing ideas in Janet Malcolm’s essay, Diana & Nikon, as a filter to view Grainger’s photographs and to link them to his work with the phonograph in collecting folksong, the video shows two groups of pictures that Grainger made on his Kodak 3A Autographic Junior camera during two extended trips: 

05:33 Voyage to Europe (with pictures from Sweden, Denmark, and England), begun January 1929

06:53 Voyage on the 4-masted barque, L’Avenir (Copenhagen to Australia), begun September 1933 

The following media are seen and heard in the video:

Music

00:00 audio Rufford Park Poachers sung by Joseph Taylor (1908)

01:52 audio Rufford Park Poachers sung by Joseph Taylor (1908)

05:44 audio Horkstow Grange sung by George Gouldthorpe (1906)

06:59 audio Lord Melbourne sung by George Wray (1908)

08:07 audio Green Bushes sung by Joseph Leaning (1906)

Images

00:16 photo Janet Malcolm by Nina Subin

00:21 photo Diana camera

00:23 photo Nikon F camera

00:25 book Diana & Nikon: essays on photography by Janet Malcolm ISBN: 0893817279

00:33 photo Borderland State Park, Easton, Massachusetts by Matthew McGarrell

00:38 photo Puddingstone, Middletown, Rhode Island by Matthew McGarrell

00:43 photo Manville, Rhode Island by Matthew McGarrell

00:46 photo Lincoln Woods, Rhode Island by Matthew McGarrell

00:51 photo Close by Matthew McGarrell

00:56 photo Warren, Rhode Island by Matthew McGarrell

01:01 photo Mãe d'Água, Lisboa by Matthew McGarrell

01:07 photo Mãe d'Água, Lisboa by Matthew McGarrell

01:12 photo Porto by Matthew McGarrell

01:17 photo R Mutt’s Fountain (Marcel Duchamp) by Giuseppe Schiavinotto

01:19 photo Marcel Duchamp at the Walker Art Center, 1965 by Eric Sutherland

01:22 photo Bottlerack, 1961 by Marcel Duchamp

01:30 photo Edison Phonograph by Matthew McGarrell

01:38 photo 7 Cromwell Place by Matthew McGarrell

01:51 photo W88-05 Joseph Taylor, side face by Percy Grainger

02:08 photo W88-01 George Gouldthorpe by Percy Grainger

02:23 photo W88-03 George Gouldthorpe [and one other] by Percy Grainger

02:40 photo W88-04 Joseph Taylor, front face by Percy Grainger

02:55 photo W141-42 Negro church from SW by Percy Grainger

03:01 photo W86-08 Elsie standing in front of tree trunk by Percy Grainger

03:07 photo Springfield 05 (uncatalogued) [West’s Repair Shop] by Percy Grainger

03:13 book Percy Grainger: the pictorial biography by Robert Simon ISBN: 0878752811

03:34 photo W24-15 Baptist church, next to ‘Solfiero’ by Percy Grainger

03-36 photo W64 not numbered-06 [PG and EG, walking away from camera] photographer ?

03:38 photo W56-03 Aldridge grave plot, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide by Percy Grainger

03:41 photo W4-07 dressed for South Australian desert tramp, 1924 photographer ?

03:52 photo W24-08 Killala “PG’s favorite boyhood home” by Percy Grainger

03:57 photo W68-09 old house, N. Adelaide by Percy Grainger

04:02 photo W68-12 Prince Alfred Hotel (Aldridge home, RG’s childhood) by Percy Grainger

04:07 photo uncatalogued [Ella, 7 Cromwell Place] by Percy Grainger

04:12 book Picture taking with the No. 3A Autographic Kodak Special (Eastman Kodak)

04:47 photo No. 3A Autographic Kodak Special by Matthew McGarrell

05:43 photo W64-01 January 1929, SS Drottningholm [Ella] by Percy Grainger

05:47 photo W64-08 January 1929, SS Drottningholm [Percy] by Ella Grainger

05:51 photo W64-08 January 1929, SS Drottningholm [Percy and Ella] photographer ?

05:59 photo W64-21 Segeltorp, 1929 [Percy Grainger on skis] by Ella Grainger

06:03 photo W64-23 Segeltorp, 1929 [Percy Grainger on skis] by Ella Grainger

06:07 photo W64-33 Segeltorp, 1929 [Percy Grainger on skis] by Ella Grainger

06:11 photo W64-36 Segeltorp, 1929 [Percy and Ella Grainger on skis] photographer ?

06:19 photo W64 not numbered 05 Rørvig, Denmark by Ella Grainger

06:23 photo W64 not numbered 03 Rørvig, Denmark [Ella and Alfhild (on horse)] by Percy Grainger

06:27 photo W64 not numbered 11 Rørvig, Denmark [Percy, Alfhilde, Herman] by Ella Grainger

06:31 photo W64 not numbered 10 Rørvig, Denmark [Ella and Percy] by Percy Grainger

06:45 photo W360-07 Lilla Vrån, Pevensey Bay, England [Ella Grainger in window] by Percy Grainger

06:48 photo W360-07 Lilla Vrån, Pevensey Bay, England by Percy Grainger

06:58 photo W66-00b L’Avenir off South Coast of England by Williams

07:02 photo W66-L’AV II-06 [off South Coast of England] by Percy Grainger

07:06 photo W66-L’AV XI-01 [from small boat, L’Avenir on horizon] by Percy Grainger

07:10 photo W66-L’AV XI 03 [from small boat, approaching starboard of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:14 photo W66-L’AV IX 03 [from small boat, approaching bow of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:18 photo W66-L’AV IX 01 [from small boat, approaching larboard of L’Avenir]

07:22 photo W66-L’AV II 03 [from deck of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:26 photo W66-L’AV VII 04 [from deck of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:30 photo W66-L’AV IV 06 [from rigging of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:34 photo W66-L’AV IV 01 [from rigging of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:38 photo W66-L’AV IV 02 [from rigging of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:42 photo W66-L’AV IV 04 [from rigging of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:46 photo W66-L’AV III 03 [from rigging of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:50 photo W66-L’AV III 05 [from rigging of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:54 photo W66-L’AV IV 05 [from rigging of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger

07:58 photo W66-L’AV VII 02 [from deck of L’Avenir] by Ella Grainger

08:07 photo W66-L’AV VII 01 [from deck of L’Avenir] by Ella Grainger

08:11 photo W66-L’AV VI 05 [from deck of L’Avenir] by Ella Grainger

08:16 photo W66-L’AV VII 03 [from deck of L’Avenir] by Ella Grainger

08:21 photo W66-L’AV XII 03 [from deck of L’Avenir] by Ella Grainger

08:31 photo W66-L’AV VII 05 [Captain Nils Ericsson] by Ella Grainger

08:36 photo W66-L’AV VII 06 [Captain Nils Ericsson] by Ella Grainger

08:41 photo uncatalogued [oil painting of Nils Ericsson by Ella Grainger] by Matthew McGarrell

08:46 photo W66-L’AV IV 03 [from rigging of L’Avenir] by Percy Grainger


Comments

  • Tue, October 13, 2020 9:05 PM | William Garlette (Administrator)
    Wonderful presentation. Interesting and very informative. Thanks. Matt.
    Link  •  Reply
  • Mon, February 22, 2021 10:57 PM | Deleted user
    These photos are revelatory, Matt, and I know how much time and care you spent creating this marvelous audiovisual montage. One eerie real-life postscript to the photographs taken on L'Avenir is that the ship was lost at sea not long after the Graingers completed their 110-day (!) voyage on it (Percy wrote a substantial portion of his unpublished autobiography while on this voyage). The photograph with Percy at the top of the crow's nest is a graphic depiction of Percy's legendary athleticism: ask yourself, how the heck did he get up there?
    Link  •  Reply
    • Thu, February 25, 2021 1:07 PM | Matthew McGarrell
      How did he get up there is a good question but even more impressive is how did he get up to the high crow's nest with that heavy, unwieldy camera in tow and then take pictures.
      Link  •  Reply

7 Cromwell Place, White Plains, NY 10601

info@percygrainger.org

Tel: (914) 281-1610

Subscribe to e-newsletter here

Privacy Policy

The Percy Grainger Society's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software