PHOTOGRAPHY AT LENGTH is written by an enthusiast who devoted half his lifetime to its research. Inspired to discover how the painted Panorama of yesteryear evolved into photography, Brian Polden gradually traced a wealth of previously unrelated information about inventors and their amazing cameras and then, for the first time, systematically categorised them into an inter-connected context. Spanning more than 150 years, they encompass a fascinatingly diverse progression from Earth-bound joined-up Daguerreotypes to dramatic curvilinear imaging beyond our planet.

Far from being dry, the 24 chapters reveal some extraordinary human stories, detailed designs and profuse illustrations, many never before having been published. The author�s perception and ability to clarify technicalities combine to portray an illuminating insight into an otherwise complex subject that has often been misunderstood and consequently neglected. Photography at Length is a richly resourced multi-faceted presentation that is recognised as the international reference work essential for those wanting to explore the unique story of panoramic picture-making from its inception up to the onset of the digital revolution.

About the Author:

After serving an engineering apprenticeship in the Royal Air Force Brian Polden joined the family business, Opticrafts Ltd. His first venture in to widened horizons was with an 8 mm cine camera and projector fitted with an anamorphic lens. This led to the co-founding of the Widescreen Association in 1964 for whom he set up its Technical Advisory Service and later its Archive and Collection.

Brian was involved with �The Panoramic Image� exhibition at the John Hansard Gallery, Southampton University in 1981. Three years later under the auspices of the Victoria & Albert Museum, in 1984 he founded the International Panorama & Diorama Society and edited its IPaDS Journal. In 1986 he joined the Advisory Committee for the hugely successful 1988�89 Panoramania! Exhibition at the Barbican.

He is a member of the Photographic Collectors� Club of Great Britain and an overseas member of the International Association of Panorama Photographers, U.S.A. He is also a long-standing member of the Royal Photographic Society who, in recognition of his extensive research work into the history of panoramic imaging, awarded him an Associateship in 2004.

Contents:

Foreword by the Rt. Hon. The Earl of Lichfield, F.B.I.P.P., F.R.P.S.
The Author
Introduction