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Portrait of a Little Boy, London

Photograph
1965 (photographed), 2012 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica in 1945, photographer Armet Francis moved to London at the age of ten. His photographs of black children, taken when he was coming to the end of his own youth, reflect on the expectations placed on black people growing up in Britain during this period. The formal poses also recall the tradition of studio portraiture, which was a popular form of representation within Caribbean families before personal cameras became readily available. Francis continued to explore the theme of childhood in his project Children of the Black Triangle (1989), which focused on representing the lives of black children in Jamaica, Africa and Britain.

The 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.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePortrait of a Little Boy, London (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin silver print
Brief description
Photograph by Armet Francis, 'Portrait of a Little Boy, London', gelatin silver print, 1965, printed 2012
Physical description
A black and white photographic portrait of a small black boy wearing braces over a shirt and a tie sitting on a chair with a brick wall in the background.
Dimensions
  • Image width: 254mm
  • Image height: 259mm
  • Paper width: 305mm
  • Paper height: 406mm
Style
Gallery label
  • Armet Francis (born 1945) Portrait of a Woman, London Portrait of a Little Boy, London 1965 These portraits show the skills Francis learned working in a photographic studio as a teenager. The smiling woman is his mother. She paid him for the portrait since he was by then establishing himself as a professional photographer. Gelatin silver prints (printed 2012) Museum nos. E.109 to 110-2013
  • Text label for the exhibition, 'Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience, 1950s-1990s 16 February – 24 May 2015 Armet Francis (born 1945) Self-portrait in Mirror 1964 Francis was born in Jamaica and moved to London aged ten. He began his photographic career in his teens as an assistant in a photographic studio. Photographing himself in the mirror, Francis deliberately records his identity as a photographer. In contrast to the professional role suggested by the camera, the surrounding scene offers an intimate glimpse into Francis’s personal life. Gelatin silver print (printed 2012) Museum no. E.103-2013(16/02/2015-24/05/2015)
Credit line
Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Object history
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.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica in 1945, photographer Armet Francis moved to London at the age of ten. His photographs of black children, taken when he was coming to the end of his own youth, reflect on the expectations placed on black people growing up in Britain during this period. The formal poses also recall the tradition of studio portraiture, which was a popular form of representation within Caribbean families before personal cameras became readily available. Francis continued to explore the theme of childhood in his project Children of the Black Triangle (1989), which focused on representing the lives of black children in Jamaica, Africa and Britain.

The 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.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
E.110-2013

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Record createdOctober 5, 2013
Record URL
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