National Library of Wales exhibition celebrates curator’s 34-year career

On 14 April a new exhibition will open in the National Library of Wales to celebrate Curator of Photography Will Troughton’s remarkable career in collecting.

‘The Curator’s Lens: A Career in Collecting’ features a special selection of images chosen by Will to celebrate his career as he prepares to retire after more than three decades at the Library.

There are more than a million photographs relating to Wales in the Photographic Collection at the National Library of Wales.

During his 34-year career, Will has cared for many thousands of them, playing a vital role in preserving and developing Wales’ visual archive.

Out of the huge number of photos that he has seen, some stand out more than others. This can be because of a strong composition, an unusual or important subject, a clever use of technique, a funny moment, a personal connection, or because the image brings back a long‑lost memory.

The photographs chosen for this exhibition reflect these qualities, but they also represent a very personal distillation of over one million fascinating photographs, offering visitors an opportunity to enjoy the Photographic Collection through a curatorial eye.

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales said: “Will’s contribution to the development and care of the Photographic Collection during his career at the Library has been invaluable.

“This opportunity to see a selection of photographs through his lens is a chance for visitors to understand the diversity within our collections, which reflects life in Wales and beyond.”

Curator of Photography, Will Troughton said: “During my time at the Library I’ve had the privilege of handling thousands of photographs, and along the way meeting a great number of photographers and inspirational colleagues from whom I have learned so much.

“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to share a small number of the photographs that have made an impression on me in this exhibition.”

Exhibition highlights include:

• [Sheep Shelter, Mynydd Epynt Artillery Range] from the series Portfolio Wales 1, David Hurn, c.1973
• Antibiotics, Y Dyn Surreal (Dai Evans), c1995
• Penbryn Mawr, Trefenter, Ceredigion from the series Mynydd Bach, Marian Delyth
• Marine & Child, Philip Jones Griffiths, 1967

The Curator’s Lens: A Career in Collecting will show at the NLW’s Upper Hall until 5 September. For more information, visit the library’s site here.