Abstract

An original artist’s commissioned 'print-work' that responds to the contents of archive box 328 in the Sir Benjamin Stone Archive, Birmingham Central Library. This archive box contained photographs by Sir Benjamin Stone of life size 'hideous figures' identified as Spanish Inquisition Relics. This research includes the creation of new work that identifies re-contextualises and presents unseen photographs by Sir Benjamin Stone and makes a significant contribution to current debates on the function; both 'official' and 'unofficial', of the archive within contemporary creative contexts, looking at what official histories classify, regulate and leave out. The artist was commissioned to undertake original research over a three-month period, locating and identifying previously unpublished work by Victorian photographer and traveller Sir Benjamin Stone. The artwork itself consists of 800 folded copies, a two part limited edition A2 poster (50 copies each) and limited edition of four A1+ prints, two of which have entered the permanent collections of the V&A Museum, London and the Birmingham Central Library Photographic Archive. Four hundred copies of the folded print work were placed in the Sir Benjamin Stone exhibition that took place from Oct 06 to Jan 07 at the V&A Museum Photography Gallery; creating in parallel with the exhibition an alternative re-contextualisation of the work of Sir Benjamin Stone. Four hundred copies of Box 328 were also distributed as a series of 'flyers/programmes' to key individuals and international organisations and the two image variants of the folded flyers could be requested via a web site. The artist curated selections of his own, Darryl Georgiou's and Sir Benjamin Stone's photographic images and worked alongside the graphic designer on the print formats and website.