ERIC DE MARÉ Fishermen’s stores, Hastings, East Sussex (1956)
Eric de Maré (London, 1910-2002) was a British photographer and author, described as one of the greatest British architectural photographers. In 1942, de Maré had published his first book, titled Britain Rebuilt. The subsequent years saw the publication of further books and articles within the architectural press. Many of the subjects covered in these works are represented within the collection held by the National Monuments Record, the public archive of English Heritage. Canals and waterways feature significantly in de Maré’s work. In 1948, he boated a dozen of the English canals during a 600 mile tour, photographing the landscapes, buildings and people he encountered. This journey resulted in a 1949 article for the Architectural Review documenting canal life and buildings. The following year saw the publication of The Canals of England. The book provided an historical and technical description of inland waterways punctuated by de Maré’s photography. In 1956, he was commissioned to travel throughout England to photograph early industrial sites and buildings. The resulting images were combined with JM Richard’s text in The Functional Tradition in Early Industrial Buildings, which was published by the Architectural Press in 1958. The functional tradition within architecture had received little attention from contemporary architects until this study, but the work coincided with and promoted an increased interest in the qualities of early industrial structures. His work in the 1960s reflected the other end of the industrial spectrum, focussing on modern power generation plants, to which his photographs frequently conferred a sculptural quality. De Maré died on 22 January 2002, aged 91. [wikipedia]
Jonathan Glancey Eric de Maré’s secret country, The Guardian
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