Smoke and Mirrors
The Magic of the Autochrome
September 26, 2009 - January 02, 2010
Opening Reception: September 26, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Pictures from potatoes? Before mass produced subtractive color film became available in the 1930’s, the Autochrome was the favorite color method of professional photographers and amateur artists. First sold in 1907, and invented by the Lumière brothers, simultaneous inventors of the moving picture with Edison, the Autochrome process used miniscule grains of potato starch dyed red, blue, and green to create a chromatic screen through which to capture color with an ease never before possible. Often compared with the works of Impressionist painters, the starch grains lend a vague and painterly aspect to the images. The result is a one of a kind glass plate of striking beauty and muted, smoky color. UCR/California Museum of Photography collection contains several examples of these early twentieth century images taken by Californian photographers, such as Will Connell of Los Angeles and W. Edwin Gledhill of Santa Barbara. Smoke and Mirrors invites viewers to experience these lovely and haunting images of a time before color.


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UCR/California Museum of Photography
UCR/California Museum of Photography is located at 3824 Main Street, on the Pedestrian Mall in downtown Riverside, California. Regular Gallery and Museum Store hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 12 PM to 5 PM. Admission is $3 for the general public and free to members, students and seniors. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. UCR/CMP offers guided educational tours to groups of 10 or more. Guided tours must be scheduled in advance and are appropriate for adults and grades 7-12; a nominal scheduling fee of $35 is charged. Waiver of the fee will be considered for groups with special needs. For more information, please call our 24-hour info line: 951.784.FOTO or visit http://www.cmp.ucr.edu on the World Wide Web.

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