Over a lifetime in which he made a significant mark on Arts and Inclusion in Cork City, Hermann Marbe amassed an impressive camera collection. Hermann’s wife, socially engaged artist Jessica Carson Marbe has founded The Hermann Marbe Camera Collection in his memory with the aspiration of making the arts and creativity more accessible. Together with Cork Film Centre and Cork City Library Service, we will research the viability of establishing The Slow Camera Exchange via a pilot initiative at Hollyhill Library. 

This initiative will facilitate access to a selection of analogue, user-friendly cameras and kits from the collection for a sample cohort of older people and intergenerational groups. The project sees potential for a wide range of engagements depending on the interest of those involved eg. the full in-depth process of learning how to use cameras 35 mm or medium format cameras, developing film and printing B&W images in a dark room. Other proposed engagements include portraiture projects using unique large format cameras, through pinhole photography, play with sun-exposed cyanotypes, or the use of simple point and shot colour film photography with plastic pop cameras. A range of engagements will be explored and then piloted.