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Exhibition
Karol Mullaney-Dignam
2014
Unknown
Silent Exposure: The photography of William Despard Hemphill
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Exhibition showcasing the work of one of Ireland’s pioneering photographers, William Despard Hemphill (1816–1902), a native of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
A well-respected medical practitioner with a wide range of interests, Dr Hemphill experimented with the latest photographic techniques and won several prestigious awards. At a time when photography was a complex, expensive and sometimes dangerous pursuit, Hemphill was among the first to photograph in detail antiquities such as the Rock of Cashel and Holycross Abbey. He was welcome too in some of the ‘big houses’ around Clonmel where there was considerable interest in amateur photography. Hemphill’s images – portraits, still life, architecture and scenery – are records of immense historical value. They are also sublime works of art, inviting us to reflect on temporal beauty, artistic rendering and photography as interpretation. A fascinating aspect of Hemphill’s work was his stereoscopic (3D) photography. This consisted of creating a 3D illusion from a pair of 2D images and was very popular in the Victorian era. Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to view some of Hemphill’s stereoscopic images – experiencing them as the Victorians would have – through special 3D viewers known as stereoscopes. Accompanied by publication edited by Karol Mullaney-Dignam, William Despard Hemphill, Irish Victorian Photographer (Dublin, 2014). ISBN 9781406428254
National Historic Properties, Office of Public Works
https://www.opw.ie/en/latestnews/articleheading,31563,en.html
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