PRESENTATIONS & TALKS
Presentations by various members of our team have helped communicate our findings and expertise to a wide audience.
For further information on any past or upcoming talks, or to discuss an event for your group or organisation, contact us.
2024
19th July 2024
History and Archives in Practice: In Conversation with Brigitte Lardinois
Online Event as part of #HAP24
Brigitte Lardinois is Reader in the Understanding of Public Photography at the London College of Communication at the University of the Arts in London. She was Director of the Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC) at the University of the Arts in London from October 2018 – February 2023.
Brigitte lectures and writes about photography with preservation of photographic archives and curation as her specialist areas. Since 2014, a research focus of hers has been the investigation of the Edward Reeves Archive in Lewes, believed to be the oldest still- surviving Victorian photo studio in the world.
Aware of the importance of this archive Brigitte and colleagues have been bringing it into the public space. In 2014 eighty historical pictures of Lewes High Street were displayed as lightboxes situated in the shop windows depicted on the glass plates. Following their success, these exhibitions have become an annual event.
10 years on, Brigitte joins chair, Giorgia Tolfo, Collections Researcher, The National Archives, to reflect on the project, the aim of which remains to engage people with history in an accessible and meaningful way.
1st May 2024
An Evening of Photographs from the Archives of Edward Reeves
Priory School, Lewes
Speaker: Tom Reeves
Join photographer Tom Reeves for an evening exploring the history of Lewes through historic photographs from the archives of Edward Reeves Photography. The talk will include newly uncovered images of Lewes and research material from the archive project.
A bar and refreshments will be provided by the Friends of Priory School.
Fundraising event – all funds go to the Friends of Priory School.
2023
12th September 2023
Friends of Lewes Talk: Reeves Lightbox Exhibition – In Their Footsteps
King’s Church, Lewes
Speaker: Tom Reeves & Brigitte Lardinois
This two-part talk begins with Brigitte Lardinois providing an update on the progress of the Reeves Archive project which began in 2013. The work of digitising the Reeves business records will allow the image archive to be searched, while creating an invaluable historical resource. Brigitte’s talk will be followed by a presentation of photographs by Tom Reeves, including previously unseen images.
The talk is timed to coincide with the Lightbox Exhibition ‘In Their Footsteps’ in the streets of Lewes, and with a series of Edward Reeves Studio open days.
Open to all – admission free to Friends of Lewes members, £4 for non-members. Please pay at the door.
7:30pm
2022
11th May 2022
An Evening of Photographs from the Archives of Edward Reeves
Priory School, Lewes
Speaker: Tom Reeves
A talk on the history of Lewes, illustrated with images from the Edward Reeves Archive
Fundraising event – all funds go to the Friends of Priory School.
2021
24th September 2021
Unveiling the Edward Reeves Archive in Lewes
Ringmer Village Hall
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Talk to Ringmer History Group
2020
5th January 2020
Lewes in Camera
Lewes Little Theatre
“Reeves of Lewes is the world’s oldest continuous photographers. Tom Reeves, descendant of the firm’s founder, Edward Reeves, talks about the early days of photography in Lewes, how the nature of photography has changed over 160 years”
2:30pm
2019
12th September 2019
Retail Retold: Life on the Streets of Lewes
St John the Baptist Church, Southover High St, Lewes
Speaker: Tom Reeves
Tom Reeves shows images of the town and people of Lewes taken in the High Street from 1860 to 1960.
The images are from the Edward Reeves Archive, a collection of historic images from the world’s oldest surviving photography studio. This talk is linked to the new lightbox exhibition which runs from the 5th to the 29th September 2019, featuring 80 lightboxes in windows up and down Lewes High Street. The exhibition will focus on the importance which High Streets – now very much under threat – have in the life of a community. Special emphasis will be given to the much more sustainable way in which generations before us did their shopping.
Open to all – admission free to Friends of Lewes members, £3 for non-members
7.45pm
24th July 2019
Edward Reeves of Lewes
East Dean Village Hall
Speaker: Tom Reeves
Tom Reeves shows some early photographs by this gifted Victorian photographer, emphasising family links with East Dean in the early 20th century.
13th May 2019
Edward Reeves: development of a business and technology
Kings Church Hall, Brooks Road, Lewes
Speaker: Tom Reeves
A talk for the Lewes History Group.
In this talk Tom Reeves will cover the development of his family’s photographic business that goes back to the 1850s. Plus, using a Victorian glass-plate camera, he will demonstrate how a picture was created in the late 19th century and how it took considerable skill to produce what now appear to be quite mundane images. To finish there will be an update on the Reeves Archive Project.
10th May 2019
The Edward Reeves Archive
St Mary’s Social Centre, Christie Rd, Lewes
Speaker: Tom Reeves
A talk for the Lewes WI.
4th January 2019
Linking Nations for the Vote and for peace 1904 – 1940s
Council Chamber, Lewes Town Hall
Speaker: Sonya Baksi
A talk about the international Suffragettes, linking nations for the votes for peace.
2018
10th December 2018
From Suffrage to Citizenship: The Lewes Campaign for Women’s Right to Vote
Kings Church Lewes
Speaker: Dr Diana Wilkins
A talk for the Lewes History Group about the campaign for voting rights for women in Lewes.
This year is the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act and of the general election in which some women were able to vote for the first time, along with millions more men.
Diana will show photographs from the Reeves Archive and the LSE Women’s Library that tell the story of the peaceful suffragists in Lewes. The talk will include the militant suffragettes who went on hunger-strike in Lewes prison and the local opposition to suffrage.
11th November 2018
Creating Lewes Remembers
Depot, Lewes
Speaker: Baroness Kay Andrews of Southover
Introduces the film ‘Creating Lewes Remembers’
13th October 2018
The Reeves Archive in Lewes
Blois, France
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Conference talk (in French) at the National History Conference ‘les Rencontres d’Histoire’.
1st July 2018
The Glass Plates and Ledgers of the Edward Reeves Archive in Lewes
London College of Communication, UAL
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
A talk as part of the PARC symposium ‘Reflections on a Glass Plate’
The symposium was a collaboration between The UAL Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC), The Past on Glass Project at Sutton Archives, Edward Reeves Archive Project and The Photographic Collections Network.
Accompanied by a screening of the Lewes Remembers short film. Watch the film online here
9th May 2018
An Evening of Photographs of Lewes from the Archives of Edward Reeves
Priory School, Lewes
Speaker: Tom Reeves
A talk on the history of Lewes, using pictures from the Edward Reeves Archive.
Fundraising event – all funds go to the Friends of Priory School.
2017
3th November 2017
Remembering the First World War in Lewes
London College of Communication
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Learn while you Lunch, UAL staff event.
8th April 2017
Unveiling of the Edward Reeves Archive in Lewes
Quad Art Centre, Derby
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Talk at the Under the Dark Cloth Symposium
14th March 2017
History and Heritage: The Edward Reeves Archive
London College of Communication, UAL
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Talk at the LCC Spring Research Symposium
2016
2nd December 2016
‘Unveiling the Edward Reeves Archive in Lewes’
Nicosia, Cyprus
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Talk at the International Conference of Photography and Theory
8th – 11th November 2016
The First World War as seen through the lens of Benjamin Reeves
Chapel of Remembrance, Mountfield Road
Speakers: Brigitte Lardinois and Steve George
Assemblies for Priory Secondary School, Lewes
30th October 2016
Mourning and Fashion
All Saints’ Centre, Lewes
Speaker: Emma O’Connor
Also Hilary Roberts [Curator of Photographs, IWM] introduces 1916 War Office film ‘The Battle of the Somme’.
10th October 2016
Unveiling the Edward Reeves Archive
King’s Church, Lewes
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Talk at Lewes History Group meeting
22th June 2016
An Evening of Photographs of Lewes from the Archives of Edward Reeves
Priory School, Lewes
Speaker: Tom Reeves
A talk on the history of Lewes, using pictures from the Edward Reeves Archive.
Fundraising event – all funds go to the Friends of Priory School.
17th February 2016
Copyright Implications when digitising an archive
LCC, UAL
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
A talk to students of the LCC Photojournalism and Documentary Photography MA course.
2015
8th December 2015
The Edward Reeves Project: Past, Present and Future
The Camera Club, London
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Illustrated talk with The Camera Club, in association with the London Alternative Photography Collective.
3rd December 2015
The Edward Reeves Archive
University of Ulster, Londonderry
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Introducing the Edward Reeves Archive to the Ulster MA & BA Photography course’ students.
12th September 2015
Opening the Shutters
St. Michael’s Church Hall, Lewes
Speakers: Tom Reeves and Brigitte Lardinois
Tom Reeves in conversation with Brigitte Lardinois discussing the Edward Reeves Archive and the plans to digitally map its content, with illustrations.
5th September 2015
Walk & Talk: Stories Seen Through A Glass Plate
Lewes High Street
Speakers: Brigitte Lardinois and Yaz Norris
A walk and talk tour of the lightbox exhibition ‘Stories Seen Through a Glass Plate 2015’
29th August 2015
Walk & Talk: Stories Seen Through A Glass Plate
Lewes High Street
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
A walk and talk tour of the lightbox exhibition ‘Stories Seen Through a Glass Plate 2015’
22nd August 2015
Walk & Talk: Stories Seen Through A Glass Plate
Lewes High Street
Speaker: Yaz Norris
A walk and talk tour of the lightbox exhibition ‘Stories Seen Through a Glass Plate 2015’
9th March 2015
Unlocking the Reeves Archive
King’s Church, Lewes
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Reveals her plans for unlocking the Reeves archive, in association with Lewes History Group.
Above left: Unlocking the Reeves Archive at King’s Church, Lewes
Above right: Tom Reeves presenting Opening the Shutters at St. Michael’s Church Hall, Lewes
15th January 2015
The Story behind the Lightboxes
Town Hall, Lewes
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Talk to the Friends of Lewes to create awareness of the Research Project to digitise the Edward Reeves Archive
2014
10th July 2014
The Edward Reeves Archive
SE Archive of Seaside Photography, Christ Church University, Canterbury
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Keynote talk conference: ‘New perspectives on Seaside Photography’
2013
29th November 2013
The Reeves Studio in Lewes
Fotomuseum Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Talk about the Reeves Archive in Lewes (in Dutch) at ‘Exposed Assets’: Symposium devoted to glass plate photography.
26th September 2013
The Reeves Studio in Lewes
Paradiso Amsterdam
Speaker: Brigitte Lardinois
Conference talk (in Dutch) Kijk! Mijn Familie
