As you can see, we have a snazzy new blog banner above! We’re getting ready for an official launch of the blog soon, so for those lucky few who have stumbled upon us, we’re hoping to expand our audience even more! In honor of this, I thought it might be fun to delve into the PRC Flickr archives and share with you some past PRC logos and assorted designs.

The above scan is of a PRC button with our 5th anniversary logo on it. This logo appeared on the PRC newsletter in 1981 and on a special promo piece. I just love the phrase “and still developing!” I worry that such an analogy might be loosing its meaning in today’s digital realm, and ask you dear readers, what would the equivalent phrase be today?

I am not quite sure when the PRC square came into being, but it’s likely around the time the newsletter changed from the descriptive “PRC Newsletter” to “in the loupe” (hmm, another pre-digital analogy?). As you can see in our PRC Flickr archive set here, the squared circle was popular for a while in our graphic treatment (and still is, see the upper right photo taken by an AIB graphic design student for our new membership brochure). I had a blast riffling through old files and gathering such ephemera for our 30th anniversary exhibition and a special web site and historical display case.

Variations on the PRC green can be found in the PRC gallery foyer and oddly enough, in my springtime coat. Interestingly, a spicy green is used by another of our sister institutions, as you can see in a photo from my recent trip to Houston. I could tell you the pantone #, but then I’d have to…

Please feel free to share any of your own photo-graphics stories or historical tidbits in the comments!

Leslie K. Brown here. Today, almost in preparation for next Thursday’s opening of New England Survey at the PRC, I had the distinct pleasure of hearing British landscape photographer Jem Southam speak at Wellesley College’s Davis Museum. Southam’s Upton Pyne exhibition opens Wednesday evening at the Davis Museum, but today he spoke to Patricia Berman’s photohistory class. Besides myself and Bruce Myren, and Davis curator Dabney Hailey, others in attendance included Laura McPhee and her MassArt class as well as MFA curators William Stover and Karen Haas. Jem is known for his contemplative, photographic observations of a single location over many years. Upton Pyne is his 6-year study of a single pond.

Among other accomplishments, Jem was a past PRC Leopold Godowsky Jr. Color Photography Award winner. These awards are administered by the PRC and are by nomination. Jem was one of the 1992/1993 cycle winners, along with several other names you might recognize. It was great to catch up with him and Dabney graciously invited me to lunch. We ate outside at Jem’s insistence. At first I thought it would be too cold, but, true to Jem’s wonderful form and presence, I was glad to convene with nature. Jem teaches at a very unique program in the UK through the University of Plymouth/Exeter School of Art and Design (read more about the Land and Water program here, which includes scholar Liz Wells among others). I encourage you to check out the exhibition (up through June 8th) and if Jem ever speaks anywhere near you, please go, it is an incredible experience! What an amazingly sweet person to boot!

Here is a great link from the Victoria & Albert Museum on Jem Southam and two of his most recent series, Upton Pyne and the Painter’s Pool.

You can read an interview with Jem Southam here.

ABOVE IMAGE: Jem Southam enjoying the winter sun outside of the Davis Museum.