Simon Marsden
Encyclopedia
Sir Simon Neville Llewelyn Marsden, 4th Baronet (born December 1, 1948, in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
) is an English
photographer and author
. He is known best for his uncommon black-and-white
photographs of allegedly haunted house
s and places throughout Europe
. He succeeded his brother as baronet of Grimsby
in County Lincoln in 1997.
in North Yorkshire
, as well as the University of Sorbonne. Afterwards, in the years 1969–71, he worked as a professional photographer. First of his works were published in photography periodicals at the end of the seventies. Two grants from the Arts Council of Great Britain
in 1975 and 1976 allowed Marsden to undertake extensive journeys throughout Europe, the Middle East
, and the United States
, photographing the architectural subjects and varied landscapes he encountered.
Marsden’s particular interest has always been with “eerie” motifs
like graveyards
and old ruins, as well as with the legend
s and tales that are often connected with these places. Yet the gloomy atmosphere of Marsden’s pictures is not based on careful choice of the motifs alone, but to the same degree on Marsden’s photography
technique, which includes the use of infrared
film
.
Marsden’s photographs already became world-famous and are exhibited at a large number of museums, amongst others the J. Paul Getty Museum
in Los Angeles, California
, the Bibliothèque nationale de France
in Paris
, and the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London
, England. Marsden released various illustrated books, and completed a variety of remittance works. The latter have, amongst other things, been used for the cover
of English Dark Metal band Cradle of Filth’s
second album Dusk and Her Embrace
, as well as an advertisement for the Japan
ese manufacturing firm Toshiba
.
Today Marsden lives with his wife, Lady Marsden, and family in an old rectory
on the Lincolnshire Wolds
.
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
photographer and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is known best for his uncommon black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
photographs of allegedly haunted house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
s and places throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He succeeded his brother as baronet of Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
in County Lincoln in 1997.
Life and work
Marsden attended Ampleforth CollegeAmpleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, as well as the University of Sorbonne. Afterwards, in the years 1969–71, he worked as a professional photographer. First of his works were published in photography periodicals at the end of the seventies. Two grants from the Arts Council of Great Britain
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
in 1975 and 1976 allowed Marsden to undertake extensive journeys throughout Europe, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, photographing the architectural subjects and varied landscapes he encountered.
Marsden’s particular interest has always been with “eerie” motifs
Motif (art)
In art, a motif is an element of a pattern, an image or part of one, or a theme. A motif may be repeated in a design or composition, often many times, or may just occur once in a work. A motif may be an element in the iconography of a particular subject or type of subject that is seen in other...
like graveyards
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
and old ruins, as well as with the legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s and tales that are often connected with these places. Yet the gloomy atmosphere of Marsden’s pictures is not based on careful choice of the motifs alone, but to the same degree on Marsden’s photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
technique, which includes the use of infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
film
Photographic film
Photographic film is a sheet of plastic coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film...
.
Marsden’s photographs already became world-famous and are exhibited at a large number of museums, amongst others the J. Paul Getty Museum
Getty Center
The Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is a campus for cultural institutions founded by oilman J. Paul Getty. The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the Bibliothèque nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. Marsden released various illustrated books, and completed a variety of remittance works. The latter have, amongst other things, been used for the cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
of English Dark Metal band Cradle of Filth’s
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
second album Dusk and Her Embrace
Dusk and Her Embrace
Dusk... and Her Embrace is Cradle of Filth's second full-length album, and their first for the label Music for Nations. The overall production on this album is similar to their other 1996 release V Empire, being more refined than on The Principle of Evil Made Flesh and the symphonic elements are...
, as well as an advertisement for the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manufacturing firm Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
.
Today Marsden lives with his wife, Lady Marsden, and family in an old rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
on the Lincolnshire Wolds
Lincolnshire Wolds
The Lincolnshire Wolds is a range of hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and the highest area of land in eastern England between Yorkshire and Kent...
.
Work (selection)
- In Ruins, 1980
- The Haunted Realm, 1986
- Visions of Poe, 1988
- Phantoms of the Isles, 1990
- The Journal of a Ghosthunter, 1994
- Beyond the Wall, 1999
- Venice—City of Haunting Dreams, 2001
- The Twilight Hour—Celtic Visions from the Past, 2002
- This Spectred Isle—A Journey through Haunted England, 2005
- Ghosthunter-A Journey Through Haunted France, 2006
- Memento Mori-Churches and Churchyards of England, 2007