Bridgwater College’s Art and Design staff will commemorate the bi-centenary of Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron’s birth by holding a free public open day in the College’s Art, Design and Media building on Saturday 29 August.

Visitors to the College will be able to view staff making portraits using the techniques and glass plate processes Cameron used. There will also be an opportunity to see art staff painting and drawing portraits in the style of Cameron’s contemporary artist friends, many of whom appeared in her work. Attendees can also have their portrait made with both these techniques.

Steve Welsh, Associate Lecturer and photographer said,

“This will be an unrivalled opportunity to experience how photographers worked in the 1850s and will certainly be the first time since the early 1900s that the process has been run in Bridgwater.”

David Alexander, Head of Creative Arts said,

“We have highly skilled staff who have developed a range of exciting courses for adult evening class provision, so the day will showcase this. There has been a huge increase in interest in old photographic processes over the last few years and we already offer some of these across our art and design courses. However, our aim is to extend this exciting opportunity for the public to engage with the medium’s history in a practical way with bespoke day courses.”

No booking is required for this event and activities will be taking place from 10.30am – 3.30pm in the Art, Design and Media building, Bridgwater College, Bath Road.