Simon Marsden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Simon Neville Llewelyn Marsden, 4th Baronet
|
|
|---|---|
Simon Marsden 2009
|
|
| Born |
Simon Neville Llewelyn Marsden
1 December 1948 |
| Died | 22 January 2012 (aged 63) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | photographerinstagram account |
Sir Simon Neville Llewelyn Marsden (born December 1, 1948 – died January 22, 2012) was a famous English photographer and author. He was best known for his unique black-and-white photos. These pictures often showed places in Europe that people believed were haunted. He became a baronet, a special British title, in 1997 after his brother passed away.
Contents
Simon Marsden's Life and Photography
Simon Marsden was the younger son of Sir John Denton Marsden. His family's special title, "baronet," started in 1924. It was given to an earlier John Marsden, who owned many fishing boats in Grimsby.
Simon went to school at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire. He also studied at the University of Sorbonne in Paris. In 1969, he started working for an Irish photographer named Ruan O'Lochlainn. Simon learned a lot about developing photos in a darkroom from Ruan's wife, Jackie Mackay.
Marsden's Unique Photography Style
Simon Marsden's first photos were shown in magazines in the late 1970s. He received money from the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1975 and 1976. This money helped him travel widely across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. He took pictures of old buildings and different landscapes he saw.
Marsden was especially interested in "eerie" or spooky subjects. He loved photographing graveyards and old ruins. He also enjoyed the legends and stories often linked to these places. The dark mood in his pictures came from his choice of subjects. It also came from his special photography method, which used infrared film.
Simon Marsden's photos became famous around the world. They have been shown in many museums. He also released several books filled with his pictures. He completed many photography jobs for others too.
Collaborations and Documentaries
In 2003, Simon Marsden worked with director Jason Figgis. They created a documentary called The Twilight Hour – Visions of Ireland's Haunted Past. Simon wrote and presented the film. The famous actor Sir John Hurt narrated it.
This documentary was nominated for two Irish Film and TV Academy Awards. It was shown on Ireland's national TV channel, RTE. It also played for three years on Discovery Civilisations in 100 countries. Later, it was released on DVD.
After Simon Marsden passed away, Jason Figgis made another documentary. This one was about Simon's life and work. It was called Simon Marsden: A Life in Pictures. The film first showed at the BFI in London on August 16, 2018. It was released on DVD in October 2021.
Simon Marsden's Family Life
Simon Marsden became a baronet in 1997. This happened after his older brother, Nigel, passed away.
He married Catherine Thérèsa Windsor-Lewis in 1970. They later separated in 1978. In 1984, he married Cassie Stanton. They had a son and a daughter together. His son, Tadgh (born in 1990), now holds the baronet title. The family lived in an old rectory, a type of old church house, near Market Rasen. This area is in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Simon Marsden died on January 22, 2012, at age 63. He passed away from heart failure.
Simon Marsden's Books
- 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
Where to See His Work
Simon Marsden's photographs are kept in many important collections. These include:
- J. Paul Getty Museum (Malibu, USA)
- Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris, France)
- Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK)
- Arts Council England (UK)
- Saatchi Gallery (London, UK)
