Illuminations

John Wyver writes: Ten days ago, with perhaps rather too little fanfare, the Government released a new strategic vision for archives. Commissioned from The National Archives (TNA) and launched by Baroness Twycross, Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling, this involved, as the project’s website notes, ‘an extensive consultation with the sector… in-person roundtable discussions across the country and an online consultation form. We also consulted with a wide range of the sector’s…

John Wyver writes: My header image is of a somewhat-worse-for-wear concrete bench on London’s South Bank. Attached is a precious souvenir of the 2002 launch of BBC Four — nearly a quarter of a century ago! I feature it here as a complement to the first item in today’s list of articles and more that I have found engaging and enriching over the past week. • The disappearance of the public bench: although this excellent Gabrielle Bruney essay for Places journal is focussed on US examples, the…

John Wyver writes: Articles and more encountered and appreciated over the past week. My header image is one of my favourite facades in London, that of the building now known as Tournament House at Paddington Station. Designed by P.E. Culverhouse of the GWR Chief Civil Engineers office and completed in 1935, it was this week revealed again as its covering of scaffolding was removed. • Projections – David Bordwell’s Contributions to the Study of Film: a special open-access edition of the journal…

John Wyver writes: On Friday I was delighted to contibute a paper to the British Silent Film Festival Symposium 2026, immaculately organised by Lawrence Napper and held at the Cinema Museum. My presentation at the end of the day explored the connections between early television and the last days of silent cinema in Britain, in […] The post British television in the end times of silent cinema, 1928-30 appeared first on Illuminations.

John Wyver writes: As usual on a Sunday, here is a selection of media that has engaged and informed me, and enriched my life in small ways, from the past seven days. The header image is a remarkable painting by Ugo Egonu, Piccadilly Circus, 1969, an artist whose work I didn’t know, but which I […] The post The Sunday dozen appeared first on Illuminations.

John Wyver writes: To Tate Modern for the richly interesting Nigerian Modernism exhibition (until 10 May) which is packed with the work of artists of whom I knew nothing. The second room is devoted to the art of Ben Enwonwu (1917-1994), with numerous paintings, and with its central island dominated by seven immensely striking wooden […] The post The Eye of the (African) Artist appeared first on Illuminations.

John Wyver writes: Readings and audio that have engaged me over the past week, shared here for the holiday weekend. The header image comes from a new Thames & Hudson ‘World of Art’ title, New Deal Art: Culture and Crisis in the Great Depression by John P. Murphy, which I have recently read and greatly […] The post An Easter Sunday dozen appeared first on Illuminations.

John Wyver writes: late to posting this today, but here is a selection of articles and video that have engaged and enriched my week, and amongst which I hope you find something interesting; for the header image, see the link below to Tom Crewe’s LRB essay on the paintings of Gustave Caillebotte. • Early television […] The post The Sunday dozen appeared first on Illuminations.

John Wyver writes: the week’s recommendations of articles and audio that I have found interesting and useful and enriching over the past week. Among my recent cultural highlights was Tate Modern’s Theatre Picasso exhibition (on until 12 April), which features this week’s header image, the master’s extraordinary ‘The Painter and his Model’, 1926. • First… […] The post The Sunday dozen appeared first on Illuminations.