***** Denis Thorpe
The DPS annual lecture sponsored by and in memory of the late,
great Harry Holder was given this year by Denis Thorpe
on Thursday 20th May. Denis was for many years one of a
select group of photographers working for the Manchester
Guardian, later the Guardian. Guardian photography has
always been considered to stand head and shoulders above
other that in other papers, and Dennis was acknowledged as
one of its greatest snappers.
The first half of the evening was devoted to a recent
exhibition at the Lowry Centre in Manchester, showing
wonderful examples of Guardian photography garnered from
the last 100 years. The show was brought about when Don
McPhee, a friend and photographic colleague of Dennis,
found some early glass plates when the newspaper darkroom
was being demolished. Don sadly died before completing
the work, and Denis took over as organiser. The Society
was treated to some amazing images, enlivened by an
excellent commentary.
The second half of the evening featured Denis's own
photography, and we saw a succession of superb
photographs, some well known, as they have become icons of
press photography. In Denis's time the staff
photographer was given much more freedom to come up with
what were often pictures of great subtlety, which
encapsulated the mood or theme upon which they were
working. His talk was amusing and really very enjoyable,
and it was felt that Harry Holder would have thoroughly
approved.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the evening, and in my opinion it
will go down as one of the best of all time.
John Clarke ARPS
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