John Wyver writes: On Friday I was delighted to contibute a paper to the British Silent Film Festival Symposium 2026, immaculately organised by Lawrence Napper and held at the Cinema Museum. My presentation at the end of the day explored the connections between early television and the last days of silent cinema in Britain, in the years 1928 to 1930.
As well as highlighting certain links between film and television at this time, and speculating about how multi-camera techniques used on a small number of the first sound films might have influenced studio techniques at Alexandra Palace after 1936, I also tried to make a more general argument about the necessity for exploring cinema and television’s histories as intimately entangled, at this historical moment but also from the late 19th century to today.
The remainder of this post is a lightly edited version of the presentation, albeit without the citations that a more formal publication path would require.I would especially welcome responses and discussion in the Comments at the end.
John Wyver writes: As usual on a Sunday, here is a selection of media that has engaged and informed me, and enriched my life in small ways, from the past seven days. The header image is a remarkable painting by Ugo Egonu, Piccadilly Circus, 1969, an artist whose work I didn’t know, but which I was very taken by in the Nigerian Modernism exhibition (until 10 May) at Tate Modern. And to kick off the selection…
• Bruce speaks truth to power: ‘This is happening now’ at The Forum in Los Angeles, 7 April.
John Wyver writes: To Tate Modern for the richly interesting Nigerian Modernism exhibition (until 10 May) which is packed with the work of artists of whom I knew nothing. The second room is devoted to the art of Ben Enwonwu (1917-1994), with numerous paintings, and with its central island dominated by seven immensely striking wooden sculptures (detail above) commissioned by the Daily Mirror in 1960.
Hailing him as ‘arguably the most influential African artist of the 20th century,’ Wikipedia notes that ‘his pioneering career opened the way for the postcolonial proliferation and increased visibility of modern African art.’ For a more detailed discussion of his work, life and ideas, see Tate’s online essay by Bea Gassmann de Sousa, ‘Decolonising Nigerian Modernism: Ben Enwonwu’s “Identity in Politics”‘.
John Wyver writes: late to posting this today, but here is a selection of articles and video that have engaged and enriched my week, and amongst which I hope you find something interesting; for the header image, see the link below to Tom Crewe’s LRB essay on the paintings of Gustave Caillebotte.
• Early television and its future: first off, here’s a wonderful find, thanks to my friend Billy Smart who has flagged it in a blog post comment (more such, please, from Billy and others!); this is Elaine Grand on Good Afternoon (Thames; 23 March 1977) speaking with writer and critic Clive James and, remarkably, with the television pioneer Grace Wyndham Goldie, who recalls pre-war television from Alexandra Palace.
John Wyver writes: the week’s recommendations of articles and audio that I have found interesting and useful and enriching over the past week. Among my recent cultural highlights was Tate Modern’s Theatre Picasso exhibition (on until 12 April), which features the header image, the master’s extraordinary ‘The Painter and his Model’, 1926.
John Wyver writes: Posted late in the day, for which apologies, but here is the usual miscellany of articles and audio that I have found engaging and enriching this week. The header image is John Constable’s ‘Cloud Study’, 1822, usually seen as part of the Courtauld collection but currently one of the many joys in Tate Britain’s glorious and deservedly popular Turner & Constable: Rivals & Originals (until 12 April). I had the great pleasure of a Member’s Hours viewing this weekend, which is really the way to see it, as otherwise it is rammed – and also sold out on many days.
• Stay classy: the most entertaining essay I read all week – Andrew O’Hagan for LRB [£; limited free access] about the Andrew formerly known as the Prince, and about Virginia Roberts Giuffre and the other victims of Epstein and his world.
John Wyver writes: In 2007 the great Polish director Andrzej Wajda, then in his early eighties, released Katyń, a historical drama about the massacre across thrtee months in 1940 of at least 14,000 Polish officers and intelligentsia. This lavish, grim, powerful film was screened on Tuesday as part of the BFI Southbank season Andrzej Wajda: Portraits of History and Humanity that is just drawing to a close.
Nearly forty years earlier the Hungarian documentary filmmaker Robert Vas also made a film, ‘…the issue should be avoided’, about the Katyn Forest massacre. This ‘documentary investigation’, produced for BBC television, is an exceptional example of Vas’ rigorous approach to history on film, and is one of the productions to be considered in the symposium Robert Vas in Context on Friday 27 March. Tickets for the event, which are free, on Friday 27 March at Birkbeck, University of London, can be booked here.
The campaign submission is a substantial document detailing the concerns of the 600 signatories to our open letter and raising key issues relating to questions of trust and transparency on the part of the BBC. Do please take a look at the full submission, which can be viewed and downloaded here, while below I reproduce the Introduction which also acts as an executive summary.
John Wyver writes: as usual, stuff that I found in the past week that helped me get through these strange and terrible times; the header image is a detail from Jan Lievens’ 1652 ‘Allegory of Peace’, from the collection of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Seemed right this week.
