The first publication of Herbert Shergold (1906-1982), who operated a commercial photography studio in Bristol throughout the 1950s and 60s. While others had switched to celluloid negatives for decades, Shergold used glass plates to create highly stylised portraits of actors and artists as well as his local community. Bristol’s working class residents were styled to appear as Hollywood film stars. Little is known of Shergold; after his death his portraits largely disappeared from view, his negatives falling into the possession of private collectors in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Bristol.
Shergold’s studio attracted local residents who desired a moment of glamour or escapism against the backdrop of post-war Britain. Many of his sitters were men, likely looking for a space where they could be themselves. Some disrobed posing partially nude, while others wore feminine clothing and makeup. His studio became a place of freedom in a world of austerity, repression and secrecy. Shergold’s ability to offer such a space likely emerged from his own desire for self-exploration. Now Keep Quite Still was supported by Marcel Brent (Vintage Photographs) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Design: IC Visual Lab
Text: Hedy van Erp
Text: Hedy van Erp
Size: 170x240mm
Pages: 76 with Gatefolds
Publication: 2024
Binding: Staple Bound
ISBN: 4758-345-356
Pages: 76 with Gatefolds
Publication: 2024
Binding: Staple Bound
ISBN: 4758-345-356
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