{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1273473"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1273473/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GT1705/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GT1705/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GT1705","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Armet Francis","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1273473/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1273473","accessionNumber":"E.103-2013","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Self-portrait in Mirror","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica in 1945, photographer Armet Francis moved to London at the age of ten. By his mid-teens Francis was working as an assistant for a West End photographic studio. His early photographs show him experimenting with the camera as a technical device and a tool for self-representation. The camera is a Yashica-Mat LM, an all-mechanical model introduced in 1958, which has an inbuilt light meter. As Francis sets up his shot in front of a mirror, he consciously records himself as a photographer whilst offering an intimate glimpse into his world. The scene challenges ideas of a racially divided society commonly associated with this era. \r\n\r\nThe V&A acquired nine photographs by Armet Francis as part of the Staying Power project. Photographs by his contemporaries Neil Kenlock and Charlie Phillips were also acquired as part of the project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.","physicalDescription":"A black and white photograph of a mirror reflecting a young black man wearing a striped t-shirt looking into the view finder of camera mounted on a tripod. In the background is a young white woman lying on a bed. The room is decorated with floral wallpaper.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Francis, Armet","id":"AUTH319927"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"gelatin silver process","id":"AAT139114"},{"text":"photography","id":"AAT54225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"gelatin silver print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"African Diaspora","id":"THES48873"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"},{"text":"Caribbean","id":"THES286921"}],"styles":[{"text":"documentary","id":"x37881"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2013GT1705"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"SP","shelf":"6","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1964","earliest":"1964-01-01","latest":"1964-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"2012","earliest":"2012-01-01","latest":"2012-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.107-2013","id":"O1273477"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"E.108-2013","id":"O1273478"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"E.109-2013","id":"O1273479"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"E.110-2013","id":"O1273480"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. ","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"254","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"259","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"305","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"paper","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"406","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"paper","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The V&A acquired this photograph as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Armet Francis, 'Self-portrait in Mirror', gelatin silver print, London, 1964, printed 2012","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"London","id":"x28980"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Francis, Armet","id":"AUTH319927"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"self-portrait","id":"AAT124534"},{"text":"bedroom","id":"AAT4364"},{"text":"camera","id":"AAT22636"},{"text":"wallpaper","id":"x37614"},{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Armet Francis (born 1945)\r\nSelf-portrait in Mirror\r\n1964\r\n\r\nFrancis began his photographic career in\r\nhis teens as an assistant in a photographic\r\nstudio. By photographing himself in the\r\nmirror, he deliberately records his identity as a\r\nphotographer. In contrast to the professionalism\r\nsuggested by the Yashica LM twin reflex camera,\r\nthe surrounding scene offers an intimate glimpse\r\ninto Francis’s personal life.\r\n\r\nGelatin silver print (printed 2012)\r\nMuseum no. E.103-2013","date":{"text":"23/7/2016-5/3/2017","earliest":"2016-07-23","latest":"2017-03-05"}},{"text":"Armet Francis (born 1945)\r\nSelf-portrait in Mirror\r\n1964\n\r\nFrancis was born in Jamaica and moved to London aged\r\nten. He began his photographic career in his teens as an\r\nassistant in a photographic studio. Photographing himself\r\nin the mirror, Francis deliberately records his identity\r\nas a photographer. In contrast to the professional role\r\nsuggested by the camera, the surrounding scene offers an\r\nintimate glimpse into Francis’s personal life.\n\r\nGelatin silver print (printed 2012)\r\nMuseum no. E.103-2013","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"Text label for the exhibition, 'Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience, 1950s-1990s\r\n16 February – 24 May 2015\r\n\n\nArmet Francis (born 1945)\r\nPortrait of a Woman, London\r\nPortrait of a Little Boy, London\r\n1965\n\r\nThese portraits show the skills Francis learned working in\r\na photographic studio as a teenager. The smiling woman\r\nis his mother. She paid him for the portrait since he was by\r\nthen establishing himself as a professional photographer.\n\r\nGelatin silver prints (printed 2012)\r\nMuseum nos. E.109 to 110-2013","date":{"text":"16/02/2015-24/05/2015","earliest":"2015-02-16","latest":"2015-05-24"}}],"partNumbers":["E.103-2013"],"accessionNumberNum":"103","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2013,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-07","recordCreationDate":"2013-10-05","availableToBook":false}}