Glyndebourne: a visual history

Val Williams and Brigitte Lardinois were invited to map the photographs collection in the Glyndebourne Opera archive, and to select photographs for a proposed book. This rich historic archive contains work by photographers including Bill Brandt, Angus McBean and Tony Ray-Jones, plus many emigre photographers known to the primarily emigre management of Glynedbourne.

The challenge of this project was to both map a history of Glyndebourne Opera, and to acknowledge the part that photography has played in making that history visual and permanent. Val Williams' essay in the book charts that history.

Publisher's text about this book:

Celebrating Glyndebourne’s 75th anniversary 'Glyndebourne: A Visual History' features over 450 photographs from Glyndebourne’s extensive and sumptuous archive, the book traces the key personalities, performers, productions and audience that have contributed to the opera house’s unique tradition.

This remarkable collection of photographs not only showcases the work of Glyndebourne but is also accompanied by anecdotal text written by Sir George Christie. It contains pictures by famous photographers including Angus McBean, indisputably one of the most important photographers of theatre and dance personalities, leading dance and theatre photographer Anthony Crickmay, royal photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones 1st Earl of Snowdon and respected Glyndebourne house photographers Guy Gravett and Mike Hoban.