The 100th anniversary of analogue photobooths, which use traditional chemical development processes to produce black and white prints, is celebrated this year – and Ramsgate will be hosting its own booth from May to September.
Anatol Josepho invented the first fully automated, coin operated photo booth in 1925 and it was installed in New York. Some 280,000 Americans used the photobooth in its first year – the cost was 25 cents per strip. The photos took 10 minutes to develop.
In the 50s and 60s, photobooths became a common feature at fairs, shopping centres and train stations across the US and made photography and portraiture accessible to the public.
It wasn’t until 1968 that the UK manufactured its first analogue photobooth.
With the intervention of the digital age, analogue photobooths are now rare with just a handful left across the world.
But Ramsgate artist Karen Vost has managed to hire one from Autofoto London for her upcoming project, The Love Booth.
Karen, who is a teacher and arts psychotherapist on the wellbeing team at Laleham Gap School, hopes The Love Booth will tell the stories of all those in the community who want to take part.
The booth will be installed at the Queen’s Head pub on Ramsgate seafront with a launch party on May 22 and then opportunities for people to get their pictures taken, alone, with friends or partners or even with their pets.
Karen, 53, will also lead events with groups including Age UK Thanet; Ramsgate Pride; Arts in Ramsgate; Ramsgate Arts Primary School; Ramsgate Sea Cadets and Laleham Gap School.
Through July and August images and quotes gathered (with consent) from the photobooth events will be displayed at Ramsgate train station before film and audio are featured at The Crane Shed on the harbour as part of Ramsgate Festival of Sound.
Karen (pictured above) said: “At the Queen’s Head I will be running events and workshops and when I am not there it will be a pay machine where people can use it for £5. If they want to share their Love Booth photos they will be able to tag them on Instagram.”
Karen, who has 35 years experience as an artist, art teacher, art supervisor and art psychotherapist, said the seed for the project began with a exhibition for Margate Pride some three years ago.
She said: “I did a lot of work with lightboxes and I got these long, skinny lightboxes that lent themselves to photo strips.
“I had lots of images in the lightboxes from the 1900s onwards. It was really successful and resonated with people. All the lightboxes sold and people started sharing their stories.
“I then started looking into photo booth strips and the LGBTQ+ community historically used booths as a place for intimacy for photos to be taken without a photographer when (the relationships) were illegal.
“There were also people with pets, at the seaside, family photos, marriage photos, all people that were able to access booths at a time when photography as expensive.”
Karen says that historically, the photobooth offering of cheap and automated snap and print, combined with the ability to create a private space behind the curtain, meant they provided a safe and affordable way for LGBT+; those from different ethnic groups – and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, to record themselves.
That has helped create an archive of often underrepresented demographics: recording fashions and relationships and prompting memories and discussion.
Karen says the idea for The Love Booth is for it to be accessible and inclusive; to promote storytelling and recollection – and to be intergenerational.
She added: “Rather than me putting images in a lightbox it is making it belong to the community and bring people together. I thought thought about how individualised we all are rather than coming together as a community and think this will facilitate something where people are the artists and are having fun.
“The project isn’t about me – it’s about all the people who take part. It is a very simple project with lots of essence and soul.”
The Love Booth is being dedicated to the memory of Karen’s ex-partner and dad to her children Esme, 20, and Jack, 17. Michael Dowling passed away on March 30.
Karen said: “Before he died I had been going through photos and thinking about this project and I asked him if he still had a little photo booth photo of all of us.
“He sent a message and that was the last message he sent me. My daughter said she had that photo and I thought I would do this project in memory of him.
“They are just little but sometimes they are the most powerful photos that you keep and they have a magic about them.”
Karen has secured her first ever Arts Council grant to hold the exhibition and says she hopes The Love Booth will help people celebrate each other and strengthen a sense of local pride.
Rafael Hortala-Vallve, founder of ‘Autofoto’ which is supplying the booth, said: “We’re excited to be collaborating with Karen.
“Our booths have always been a refuge for love, particularly for those whose relationships were prohibited or taboo. We are looking forward to seeing this project bringing the iconic lovers photo strip to modern day audiences.”
Ramsgate councillor Becky Wing added: “This photobooth enables us to come together regardless of our differences, to prove to those who want to promote hate that people actually really care for and love each other.”
Key dates
May 22nd – Launch party at the Queens head
May 27th- A daytime community event open to all including pets. (The Queens Head)
May 30th – Pride event: a nod to the booths having historically provided a safe space (The Queens Head)
June: Workshops with groups including: Age UK Thanet; Ramsgate Pride; Arts in Ramsgate; Ramsgate arts Primary School; Ramsgate Sea Cadets; Laleham Gap School (The Queens Head)
July/August: An exhibition of images and quotes gathered from the above events displayed at Ramsgate train station
12-14 September: Film/soundscapes from the project shown at The Crane Shed on Ramsgate harbour as part of Ramsgate Festival of Sound.
