19 June 2013

'Performing Ghosts' captures famous figures from stage and screen

one of the images of Maggie Smith that features in the exhibition

An exhibition of never-before-seen photographs of some of the most famous actors, directors and playwrights of the 20th century will be officially opened at the University of Dundee's Lamb Gallery this weekend.

Michael Peto was one of the world's leading celebrity photographers. His unobtrusive manner and extraordinary ability to capture candid shots earned him the affectionate nickname of 'The Ghost'. He is best known for his photographs of creative artists, around 50 of which are shown in the new exhibition.

'Performing Ghosts: The film, theatre & television photography of Michael Peto' is being held as part of the annual conference of the University-based Scottish Word and Image Group (SWIG), which takes place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June.

'Performing Ghosts' features images from the Michael Peto Photographic Collection held by the University Archives along with related material including film cameras and other equipment on loan from Summerlee: the Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in North Lanarkshire.

The striking images of actors, writers and directors in performance and at rest taken between 1956 and 1970 were selected by Dr Brian Hoyle of the University's English & Film Studies programme.

He said, 'Looking through this extensive collection is an amazing experience. There are so many famous people and productions, and the quality of the photos Peto took is extraordinary. He must have made his subjects feels at ease.

'These are not official portraits - rather you get the sense that you are seeing the real person. There were so many images to choose from that narrowing it down to around 50 was nearly impossible.'

Among the highlights of the exhibition are:

• Candid photographs of many famous actors, including Mary Pickford, Maggie Smith, Laurence Olivier and John Hurt.
• On-set photographs from Ken Russell's infamous banned TV production 'Dance of the Seven Veils'.
• Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter directing their own theatre and TV productions.
• Richard Burton recording 'Under Milk Wood' accompanied by Elizabeth Taylor
• Jack Hawkins, Terry Thomas, Jean Renoir, Ingrid Bergman and many others promoting their work at the 1956 Observer Film Exhibition in London

'Performing Ghosts' runs at the Lamb Gallery on the first floor of the University's Tower Building until 10th August and admission is free. For further details, visit www.dundee.ac.uk/museum or call 01382 384310.

Notes to editors:
The University of Dundee Archive Services is the custodian of the entire photographic work - some 130,000 prints and negatives - of the Hungarian-born, UK-based photographer, Michael Peto (1908-70).

www.dundee.ac.uk/archives/peto/.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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