The Language of Flowers as Metamorphosis from Medieval Art to Nineteenth Century Photography

Ashleigh Black

The Language of Flowers as Metamorphosis from Medieval Art to Nineteenth Century Photography

Ashleigh Black^* (Corresponding Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Language, Literature, Music & Visual Culture

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Published conference contribution

Abstract

The University of Aberdeen’s Special Collections holds around 38 000 glass plate negatives taken by George Washington Wilson and his photographic firm from 1850 until 1908. The photographic collection comprises portraits, landscape and cityscape images taken across the world, including the UK, Australia, South Africa, and the Mediterranean. Wilson first entered photography as a portrait artist and eventually came to be renowned for his cityscapes and landscape work. This paper considers the symbolic role of flowers using his portrait photographs as a case study; with special reference to The Language of Flowers or Floral Emblems of Thoughts, Feelings and Sentiments by Robert Tyas published in 1869. Tyas’ book has been chosen for this paper as it was relevant for the flowers depicted in Wilson’s photographs.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the Metamorphosis
Subtitle of host publication	Transformations across Time, Culture & Identity Conference
Editors	Ross Cameron, Wu Yunong, Azalea Kushairi, Liudmila Tomanek
Place of Publication	Glasgow
Publisher	University of Glasgow College of Arts
Pages	1-14
Number of pages	14
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 2022

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Cite this

Black, A. (Accepted/In press). The Language of Flowers as Metamorphosis from Medieval Art to Nineteenth Century Photography. In R. Cameron, W. Yunong, A. Kushairi, & L. Tomanek (Eds.), Proceedings of the Metamorphosis: Transformations across Time, Culture & Identity Conference (pp. 1-14). University of Glasgow College of Arts. https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_855940_smxx.pdf

The Language of Flowers as Metamorphosis from Medieval Art to Nineteenth Century Photography. / Black, Ashleigh (Corresponding Author).
Proceedings of the Metamorphosis: Transformations across Time, Culture & Identity Conference. ed. / Ross Cameron; Wu Yunong; Azalea Kushairi; Liudmila Tomanek. Glasgow: University of Glasgow College of Arts, 2022. p. 1-14.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Published conference contribution

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AB - The University of Aberdeen’s Special Collections holds around 38 000 glass plate negatives taken by George Washington Wilson and his photographic firm from 1850 until 1908. The photographic collection comprises portraits, landscape and cityscape images taken across the world, including the UK, Australia, South Africa, and the Mediterranean. Wilson first entered photography as a portrait artist and eventually came to be renowned for his cityscapes and landscape work. This paper considers the symbolic role of flowers using his portrait photographs as a case study; with special reference to The Language of Flowers or Floral Emblems of Thoughts, Feelings and Sentiments by Robert Tyas published in 1869. Tyas’ book has been chosen for this paper as it was relevant for the flowers depicted in Wilson’s photographs.

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The Language of Flowers as Metamorphosis from Medieval Art to Nineteenth Century Photography

Abstract

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