Comment by Peter Marshall
First I'd urge everyone to rush out and order a copy of this book from the 'Bishop press'. However I do have some reservations - in part discussed with the author on its first publication in Inscape magazine - some of which still remain in this revised version.
The very success of this as a personal book about personal truths and their realisation works against providing a more balanced view of developments in photography - and in particular in 'independent' or 'personal' photography in the UK in the seventies and eighties. Its strongly personal viewpoint results in the overlooking of things which would contribute to a more objective view and an undue emphasis on those in which the author was personally involved.
So you will look in vain to find details of many groups that were vital in continuing the movement in the '70's and early 80's, many based round workshops, galleries, arts centres and similar organisations. Some were to an extent more concerned with the politics of photography, but even in these there was often a strong commitment to the personal. Plenty of photographers felt an affinity with at least parts of two of those 'Three Perspectives'! Some of these were small and informal groups that had little or no association with organisations, making their recording unlikely. However, two particular groups of note in London were meeting at the Architectural Association and the Photographers' Gallery. Here monthly Tuesday evening meetings for 'young photographers' were held for a number of years, and this was an important source of members for London Independent Photography. Both the inaugural meeting at the gallery, the first General Meeting at the Drill Hall and the first Blutak were attended by a large proportion of those from this group, which the gallery discontinued on the formation of LIP. A few of us remain active in LIP.
The chapter 'Movement continued' would have benefited from a more chronological approach; workshops at the Photographer's Place began around 10 years before LIP came into being and although some of the things that happened in the meantime are dealt with, the order of treatment is curious. LIP (like Framework before it - discussed after in the book) is a good example of the kind of thing that was happening rather than a 'key group'. Of course to those of us involved - most readers - it is a key group - but that is to confuse the personal with a wider view.
Also missing are such events as the annual Brunel Photoshows, and the generally increasing volume of personal photography shown by various galleries around the country, often aided by exhibition grants from the regional Arts Councils, who also supported photography through publications such as South East Arts Review -paying me (and others) from the poetry budget!
Not to mention that immensely inspiring History of Photography course at the Working Men's College, Mornington Crescent!
It may not be a perfect volume, but it is the best we have. Buy it!
(C) Peter Marshall 1977