Output details

Capital Views: Interwar London in the Photographs of Aerofilms Ltd

This output was based on Deriu's doctoral research into how understandings of modern cities has been shaped since the early-twentieth century by the impact of aerial photography. The essay explores in particular how the image of London was reconfigured through the work of the most important air-photography company that operated in interwar Britain - Aerofilms Ltd. As aerial views became a common feature of illustrated publications, the image of 'the greatest city' from the air was implicated in a wide range of representations, from tourist guidebooks to architectural magazines. Through a combination of primary and secondary sources, Deriu charts the dissemination of Aerofilms' views of London and discusses their impact on various cultural discourses concerned with the city. The essay sits in a themed issue of the leading peer-reviewed journal on London studies, which Deriu edited jointly with Dr Tanis Hinchcliffe following a one-day colloquium, 'Eyes over London,' organised at the University of Westminster in 2008. In conjunction with the colloquium, Deriu also arranged a display of the exhibition 'London from Above', on loan from English Heritage, at the University of Westminster, 15 - 22 September 2008. The colloquium was sponsored by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, which had previously funded Deriu's research into Aerofilms' history through a postdoctoral fellowship. In relation to the same research, Deriu also published a substantial review essay, 'Above Paris: The Aerial Survey of Roger Henrard / Shot from Above: Aerial Aspects of London,' The Journal of Architecture, vol. 13, no 5., 2008, pp. 661-668. ISSN: 0305-8034. DOI: 10.1080/13602360802453541