Colin Ford (curator)
Colin Ford | |
|---|---|
| Born | Colin John Ford 13 May 1934 |
| Died | 21 December 2025 (aged 91) |
| Citizenship | British |
| Alma mater | University College, Oxford |
| Occupations | Photographic curator, historian of photography and museum director |
| Known for | Keeper at the National Portrait Gallery, London Director of the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television Director of the National Museums and Galleries of Wales |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
Colin John Ford CBE (13 May 1934 – 21 December 2025) was a British photographic curator, historian of photography and museum director. He wrote a number of books on the history of photography.
Life and career
Ford was born in Battersea, London, England, on 13 May 1934.[1] He was educated at University College, Oxford University, where he directed plays for the University College Players, including at the Edinburgh Fringe.[2] He began his career in the theatre.[3] He was a director and broadcaster. Between 1972 and 1982 he was Keeper of Film and Photography at the National Portrait Gallery, London. He then became the first director of the UK National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford (later to become the National Media Museum).[4] From 1992 he was Director of the National Museums and Galleries of Wales.[5]
He interviewed contemporary photographers such as Don McCullin.[6] He also gave lectures on the history of photography.[7]
Until 2010, he was Chairman of the Kraszna-Krausz Foundation.[5] He was Vice-President of the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust from 2005 to 2020[1] and Chairman of the Peel Entertainment Group.[8]
Ford died on 21 December 2025, at the age of 91.[1]
Books
- An Early Victorian Album: The Photographic Masterpieces of David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson (1974).
- The Cameron Collection: An Album of Photographs by Julia Margaret Cameron (1975).
- Portraits (1982).
- Eyewitness: Hungarian Photography in the 20th Century: Brassaï, Capa, Kertész, Moholy-Nagy, Munkásci, Royal Academy of Arts (2011), with Péter Baki. ISBN 978-1905711765.[9]
Awards and legacy
Ford was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993.[1] He was awarded the Hungarian Order of Merit in 2013.[8]
The Royal Photographic Society established the annual Colin Ford Award in 2003 for contributions to curatorship, named after Colin Ford as the first director of the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television.[10]
There are several photographs of Ford in the National Portrait Gallery (London) collection, including works by Arnold Newman, Norman Parkinson, and Cheryl Twomey.[11]
References
- ^ a b c d Weiss, Marta (14 January 2026). "Colin Ford obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Profile: Colin Ford CBE". UK: University College, Oxford. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ "Colin Ford". USA: Macmillan Publishers. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ Ford, Colin (13 June 2013). "30 and Out? The National Media Museum Under Threat". Writing about Photographs. Francis Hodgson. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Colin Ford CBE". UK: Arts4dementia. 15 September 2011. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Don McCullin in Conversation with Colin Ford". UK: The Photographers' Gallery. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Hungarian Photography Lecture Series in Budapest to start with Colin Ford". UK: Hunglish.org. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Curator Profile: Colin Ford CBE". Hampshire Cultural Trust. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ Cumming, Laura (3 July 2011). "Eyewitness: Hungarian Photography in the 20th Century – review". The Observer. UK.
- ^ "Colin Ford Award". Awards. Royal Photographic Society. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Colin Ford". Search the Collection. UK: National Portrait Gallery, London. Retrieved 9 June 2014.