A photographer, who is travelling the length and breadth of the country to capture all 237 RNLI lifeboat stations on camera, is to visit the Isle of Wight this weekend.
Jack Lowe plans to visit all RNLI lifeboat stations in Britain and Ireland, photographing the view from each station along with the crew and Coxswain/Senior Helm using Wet Plate Collodion, a Victorian process that allows him to record stunning images on glass. The ambitious project is likely to take some 3 to 5 years to complete.
Jack, who lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, travels in ‘Neena’ — a decommissioned NHS ambulance purchased on eBay and converted into a mobile darkroom.
The grandson of Dad’s Army actor Arthur Lowe and avid RNLI supporter explains:
“My early childhood was spent on a Victorian schooner in Ramsgate harbour and on the Thames. My Dad is an experienced seafarer and introduced me to the wonders of lifeboats – these wonderful, powerful pieces of kit designed for heroic, lifesaving missions on stormy seas.
“From an early age, I knew that I wanted to be either a photographer or a lifeboat crew member when I grew up. Now I’m following my heart and uniting the two dreams. I’m using a photographic technique developed in the 1850s, around the time that the RNLI was incorporated under Royal Charter. The photographs are made directly onto glass plates known as ‘ambrotypes’.”
Jack has already documented all 15 stations on the East Anglian coast and this weekend will visit the stations on the Isle of Wight. On Friday he will head to Cowes, Yarmouth on Saturday and finally Bembridge on Sunday.
Jack added:
“The Project now enjoys an incredible extra dimension as everyone is so involved and engaged with it – the Coxswain and crew can step into the ambulance and watch a portrait of themselves developing. They are entranced, often rendered speechless and sometimes moved to tears!”
Follow Jack’s RNLI photographic mission on Facebook (fb.com/LifeboatStationProject), on Twitter (@ProjectLifeboat) or on the Project’s dedicated site ( lifeboatstationproject.com).
