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Photographing the Elgin Marbles


Photographing the Elgin Marbles
Photo Information
Copyright: Lois Johnson (lebjohnson) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 135 W: 49 N: 180] (1287)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-03-17
Categories: Daily Life, Artwork
Camera: Pentax *ist DS, Tamron 28-300mm XR Di f3.5-6.3
Exposure: f/6.7, 1/180 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2006-05-19 21:35
Viewed: 862
Points: 6
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
On the first floor of the British Museum, at the very back, is the room with the Elgin Marbles, also called the Parthenon Marbles. These sculptures were sold by the Turkish Sultan of Greece to Thomas Bruce, 7th earl of Elgin and removed from the Parthenon in Athens for transport to England in 1806. They languished under poor storage conditions as Elgin wanted more for them than the Britsh government wanted to pay. Elgin's second attempt to sell the Marbles to the British government led to a debate in Parliament where Sir John Newport MP said about Lord Elgin, "The Honourable Lord has taken advantage of the most unjustifiable means (i.e. bribery) and has committed the most flagrant pillages. " On the same day, the speaker of Parliament noted in the calendar: "Lord Elgin's petition has been filed. His ownership rights on the collection have been contested; his conduct has also been censured." Despite all these fine words, they were sold to the British government in 1816 and are now on view in the British Museum. There have been ongoing attempts by the Greek government to obtain the return of the marbles, and its position has many supporters, but the marbles are still in the British Museum. As I looked at their beauty in wonder, I marveled at the assumption that everything could be bought for the right price, that the people of a country had no say in their national treasures.

This gentleman was making his own record of of the marbles, photographing the frieze to put together as a whole, a very long image. By popular request, (would you believe one person?) I have added a WS that includes more of the marbles, so you can have some idea of the scale of Lord Elgin's removal of sculture from the Parthenon. Consider that the WS is only of a small portion of a wall of a very large room, with its walls covered in statuary.

Exposure Mode Auto; Exposure Program Normal; ISO 1600; Focal Length 28 mm; Focal Length in 35mm Film 42 mm, cropped, and framed.

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sugah_bear69, sufi has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Ejla: Elgin marbleslebjohnson 1 05-22 22:28
To kitflorendo: You are right, againlebjohnson 2 05-21 10:52
To Sans1: Black and white in colorlebjohnson 1 05-21 10:52
To sugah_bear69: Still laughinglebjohnson 1 05-21 07:54
To drymd29: Very interesting effectlebjohnson 1 05-21 07:39
To bebu: Red Hatlebjohnson 1 05-19 21:59
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • bebu Gold Star Critiquer [C: 272 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-05-19 21:45]
  • [+]

Good shot with nice compos & interesting notes. Also like your hat :D
TFS
BeBU

Have a great weekend & don't forget your SHOES :D

I am such a scatter brain sometimes, when I looked at the thumbnail I thought, 'well, where are the marbles?' Lol, I have a child's marbles on the brain!!!!!
Well done, nice capture of the marbles and the added interest of another photographing them. Good colors and pov.
Thanks for sharing...no points, then I will award "Fran Smilies" lol

;-) ;-D
Fran

Pity for the overexposure and the black coat.
I made a workshop; just for correcting this.
Hope you like it Lois
Huub

While Huub's WS makes a difference, of course, I prefer this version, as the marbles are not covered in lichen - they are pristinely clean and 'marbley' and your rendition looks about right to me. The crop of the photographer is also interesting but we lose too much of the marbles ... and I wanted more not less.
There was perhaps another angle on this one? From the side rather than from the front and square on? Thus, giving a persepctive view of the extended length of marbles in the shot?
VERY interesting though, particularly to anyone who has seen where they really SHOULD be.

  • Great 
  • Sans1 Gold Star Critiquer [C: 463 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-05-20 21:26]
  • [+]

Hi Lois- very good capture of these marble images- I like the contrast between the dark coat and the grey marble- well done on the photograph and great note!

Best wishes,
Steve

  • Great 
  • Ejla Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 333 W: 13 N: 137] (2488)
  • [2006-05-22 20:07]
  • [+]

Lord Elgin removed a great peace of art from the original place, and you showed us that with your specific stile. thanks!

  •      
  • sufi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 720 W: 7 N: 106] (1336)
  • [2006-05-27 15:26]

Hi Lois...
Another WMWS photograph... The point of view is beautiful... Also beautiful the contrast between the cream color and black tones... The light, details and clarity are beautiful too...
TFS...
Stay well..
Salim.

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