SJPA/Album 58, a photographic album with a simple red cover, is one of the many photographic albums we hold here at the SJPA as part of our permanent collection. Earlier this week, having retrieved the album from our storeroom to show an individual interested in examining it for research purposes, we decided, purely out of curiosity, to delve a little deeper into its contents and see what it contained.
In doing so, we were very pleasantly surprised, discovering 14 mini ‘sections’ full of rich photographic imagery, accompanied by both precise image captions and a detailed paragraph of text on each page, all neatly presented in a charming scrapbook-style album. Titled Coast and Caves of Jersey, the album takes the viewer on an engaging visual tour of Jersey’s coastlines and cave structures.
Nevertheless, the album is far more than a visual documentation of these themes. It demonstrates a strong level of understanding and knowledge relating to coastal landscapes and caves. This is evident both in the detailed accompanying text and in the precise, deliberate way the landscapes and structures have been photographed.
In this article, we shall explore the album in a little more depth, examining a selection of pages and images that give this otherwise modest and unassuming scrapbook style photo album a real sense of character and charm. In doing so, we can see how it becomes much more than a typical photographic album, serving as both an engaging, as well as valuable, visual record of Jersey’s coastal landscape and cave structures.
The cover of the album is very simple, modest and unassuming. Its worn condition and rugged appearance emphasise what quickly becomes apparent once you begin exploring its contents, that the scrapbook was intended as a practical area in which to record ideas and visual research. Despite its neat presentation, the document is better understood as an active research tool than a sentimental object.
Here is the layout of ‘Section 1’, focusing on St Helier. The remaining 13 ‘sections’ follow the same format. A blank page sits on the left-hand side, while the right-hand page contains a collection of photographs cut into various shapes and sizes, accompanied by a long strip of text.
In this particular example, I especially liked how some of the photographs were cut into irregular oval and circular shapes – a pattern which follows on many of other pages. This effect immediately evokes and emphasises a rustic, scrapbook feel that continues throughout the album.
‘Section 3’ focuses on a range of locations along the south-west coast, including Noirmont, Portelet and Belcroute Bay.
‘Section 5’ continues the exploration of the south-west coast, focusing on cave structures at La Cotte Point and Le Fret, before ending with a landscape image of St Brelade’s Bay.
‘Section 13’ documents a group of individuals ascending the steep cliffs at Grosnez. This page is particularly interesting, as its layout and sequencing, which mix landscapes with close-up portraits and action shots, are strikingly reminiscent of a traditional newspaper or magazine photo essay.
Here are two close-up examples of the text from the first and last pages respectively. The text is intended to be read from start to finish as one continuous narrative. It provides a detailed account of the journey across the island on which the viewer is taken, serving as a factual written record that the photographs help to illustrate. The language is simple and accessible, avoiding overly technical or scientific wording.
The Images
Here are a few of my favourite images from the album
Panoramic view of St Aubin’s Bay
This image provides a strong and striking visual representation of St Aubin’s Bay. I particularly like the way the two photographs have been combined to create a seamless panoramic effect. Achieving this result using only two manually taken photographs, physically placed together without the aid of any digital image-stitching software, is very difficult to achieve with this level of success. Within the scrapbook context of the album, this more unusual type of image works particularly well.
Group portrait of group ascending the cliffs at Grosnez
This image is a strong example of classic environmental portraiture. It is immediately obvious from viewing the photograph alone what is taking place and the context in which it was taken.
Group portrait of group ascending the cliffs at Grosnez. Features Emile Guiton, top row, second from left.
Whilst there is nothing particularly remarkable about this photograph from a visual perspective, what makes it so interesting is that one of the individuals featured is Emile Guiton.
An important figure in the history of the Société Jersiaise, Guiton was appointed in 1927 to manage the library’s first cabinet dedicated to housing photographic records. Through his pioneering work, the Société’s photographic collection grew rapidly, eventually leading to the establishment of the Photographic Archive in 1992.
To stumble across a rare photograph of such an important Société Jersiaise figure, especially a person so instrumental in terms of the history of the Photographic Archive within an album we happened to chance upon this week, is a fantastic stroke of luck.
View of The Hermitage of St Helier at Elizabeth Castle
It is the simplicity of this image that makes it so powerful and effective. In a very matter-of-fact manner, the photographer has systematically recorded the structure as objectively as possible. As a result, the photograph provides a clear and precise visual record, with the hermitage serving as the sole focus.
From an archival perspective, these types of images are incredibly valuable, especially when documenting important historic structures such as the Hermitage of St Helier.
Diptych image depicting the headland between Portelet Bay and Le Fret Point
Throughout the album there is an ongoing attempt by the narrator to place photographs together in sequence. This particular example features two images of different sections of the headland between Portelet Bay and Le Fret Point arranged as a diptych.
Using this technique allows two visual perspectives of the same landscape to be viewed side by side, creating an interesting topographical reference point and helping the viewer understand the relationship between different areas of the headland.
Conclusion
Looking through Coast and Caves of Jersey was a pleasant surprise. What at first appeared to be a fairly ordinary photographic scrapbook soon revealed itself to be a carefully constructed piece of visual research, created and/or compiled by someone with a genuine understanding of the subject matter.
It is albums such as these that help demonstrate the richness and variety of the collections held by the SJPA. Seemingly ordinary items can often contain unexpected stories, important historical connections and fascinating insights into Jersey’s past. In this case, all three were found within the pages of a simple red scrapbook.
If you would like to find out more about this album, or about any other material within our extensive photographic collections, please do get in touch with the Photographic Archive team. You can contact us by email at photoarchive@societe.je or by telephone on +44 (0) 1534 633398.
Catalogue Reference
SJPA/Album 58, Coast and Caves of Jersey.
Further Reading
If you are interested in seeing this album, or any of the photographic albums in our collection, please see our online catalogues:
- Shared Jersey Heritage Catalogue – Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive: Photo Albums: Collection Search | Jersey Heritage
- Fully digitised and transcribed photographic albums: Albums – Société Jersiaise
If you would like to make an enquiry or make an appointment to view our collections in person, you can contact us either my email or telephone: +44 (01534) 633398 / photoarchive@societe.je
Explore zines and curated work here: Éditions Emile
https://editionsemile.net/
Written by Max Le Feuvre, Assistant Archivist, SJPA
