New exhibition sheds light on capital’s past

IMAGES of Edinburgh in the 1950s and 60s taken by an acclaimed street photographer and “student of light” are to go on show for the first time.

The photos by the late Robert Blomfield will be displayed at the University of Edinburgh, where he studied medicine and honed his artistic talent.

His work was relatively unknown until a show at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh in 2018.

The new exhibition, titled Robert Blomfield: Student Of Light, will be the first display of his work since then.

It includes street scenes and images of student life, and is the first to feature his colour photography.

Blomfield arrived in Edinburgh to study in 1956 and took a camera with him almost everywhere, even into class, producing shots of lectures and laboratories that are described as unique in their access and composition.

Curator Daryl Green said: “In this exhibition, you will encounter Edinburgh through Robert’s lens, from when he first stepped off the train platform in Waverley Station through to the late 1960s.

“These photographs reveal how he developed his eye and his skills in the darkroom became a student of light.”

Born in Leeds and raised in Sheffield, Blomfield’s lifelong pursuit of photography was sparked when he received his first camera on his 15th birthday. He continued taking photographs until his death in 2020.

His archive of original prints, film and colour slides from Scotland was deposited in the University of

Edinburgh’s Centre for Research Collections in late 2021.

Mr Green added: “The fact Robert’s work remained relatively unknown for almost 60 years is astounding to me.”

Robert Blomfield: Student Of Light will run from Friday to October 1 at the University of Edinburgh Main Library.

A view of student life in Edinburgh, captured by late street photographer Robert Blomfield, above. Men sit on a bench in the Grassmarket at the foot of Victoria Street in 1965, left. Right, a view of Edinburgh in the 1950s shows the early use of colour photography