This obituary was originally published in The Royal Photographic Society Journal Vol. 153, No. 5, page 313 (2013).
Michael Austin HonFRPS, The Society’s President from 1990–92, died in Entebbe, Uganda on 1 March, aged 74, having been ill with stomach cancer for the previous six months.
Michael had a lifelong interest in photography. Beginning in the industry, and then subsequently in academia, he contributed greatly to the broader vision of imaging, selflessly serving The Society in many capacities before becoming its President, and continuing to be involved after he stepped down.
Born in London in 1938, Michael was awarded a scholarship while attending the City of London School. Before going to Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1958, to read Chemistry, he worked for Kodak Ltd in the Kodachrome film processing facility at Harrow. At Oxford, he acted as a photographer for the student newspaper Cherwell, where in addition to taking the photographs, he processed and printed them.
After graduating in 1962, Michael joined Ilford Ltd as a research chemist, doing basic research on gelatine. At that time, Ilford Ltd was an enthusiastic supporter of The Society, and he was immediately encouraged to join the RPS.
In 1965, Michael moved to the International Publishing Corporation as a Project Manager in its R&D Division, where he was involved in the dramatic change from letterpress to litho printing for national newspapers in the UK, and in particular the setting up of the satellite litho printing plant for The Daily Mirror in Belfast. His main role was in the development of suitable systems for bringing editorial colour news photographs into the Belfast editions.
He moved from industry to academia in 1971, joining the staff of the Polytechnic of Central London (formerly Regent Street Polytechnic, and now the University of Westminster) to take up the position of Principal Lecturer. It was at this time that I first met Michael, and I had the good fortune and privilege to work with him from the time when I was starting my own career as a visiting lecturer, up until he took early retirement in 1988.
We had many overlapping interests in imaging science, particularly in photographic development and colour reproduction, and subsequently in digital imaging.
At PCL, Michael was course leader of the first degree course in photography, initiated by Professor Margaret Harker, who also died earlier this year. This BSc Honours in Photographic Sciences exists to this day, having evolved into the BSc in Photography & Digital Imaging Technologies.
In both teaching and research, Michael was very much a man of action and vision, getting new developments adopted as the science and technology of photography advanced, having the ability to carry others along with his ideas. This was also reflected in his many contributions to the work of The Society.
As a single example of his many pioneering approaches, he introduced holography to the degree course at PCL, and was a prime mover in the formation of the RPS Holography Group in 1983.
He carried out a doctoral project in collaboration with the Central Electricity Generating Board on the processing chemistry of silver halide holograms while at the PCL, and was awarded a PhD in 1989. His thesis must surely have the distinction of perhaps one of the longest titles in its field: An investigation of the processing and reconstruction conditions necessary to optimise the transmission hologram images formed using conventional silver halide materials.
Michael also exhibited holograms. He is the holder of two patents, and has published a number of papers, mainly in connection with the processing of holograms.
He will be fondly remembered by his former colleagues on the staff at PCL for his leadership skills, and by significant numbers of his former students, whom he taught so well.
A true polymath and imaging scientist, Michael managed to span the apparent divide between chemistry and physics, and apply both, not only in his academic work, but also in the many changes he carried through or initiated in his work for the RPS.
Michael joined The Society in 1962, and contributed to the work of the then Imaging Science and Technology Group (now the Imaging Science Group) eventually becoming its Chair and representative on Council.
In 1986, he succeeded Ron Cox as Editor of The Journal of Photographic Science, a role he fulfilled until 1998, during which time he initiated its change in title to the Imaging Science Journal, reflecting the changing technologies.
We can all be grateful to Michael for having the vision to foresee the onward rush of computing and digital methods of photography. He was involved in the setting up of the Digital Imaging Group, which is now the largest in The Society.
During his Presidency, he initiated a programme of control of standards and better information for Distinctions applicants, and the introduction of exemptions for those with appropriate qualifications, and began the processes for having digital submissions accepted for Distinctions. He was instrumental in the design and introduction of the Imaging Scientist Qualifications for professional imaging scientists.
Although he didn’t achieve his ambition for The Society to acquire its current Royal Charter during his period of office, he sowed the seeds for its future acquisition, and did succeed in it acquiring its Coat of Arms.
As well as his being involved in the setting up of the Holography and Digital Imaging groups, Michael’s Presidency also saw the rise in importance within The Society of the Contemporary Group. These are aspects of The Society’s work and influence which have subsequently flourished.
Michael convened the Chiltern University of the Third Age (U3A) Digital Imaging Group in 2002, where he ran workshops in Photoshop and other aspects of digital imaging. These were very popular, and his legacy lives on, both in that group and in his many other areas of photographic activity.
Outside his professional involvement, Michael was an enthusiastic amateur photographer, particularly combining his lifelong interest in butterflies with photography. In retirement, he moved to Uganda to enjoy photographing the myriad butterflies to be found there.
In addition to his extensive contributions to the advancing world of imaging, Michael was very much a man of action in other spheres. He was a member of the Scouts in his youth, and introduced his local group to caving, canoeing, orienteering and mountain climbing, and continued many of these pursuits while at university and beyond.
While he was at PCL, I remember him going on caving expeditions; and during his Presidency, Michael applied his mountaineering skills to cleaning the chandelier in the Octagon, The Society’s former building in Milsom Street. This was a difficult task, as it was impossible to reach, even with a stepladder. He abseiled from the ceiling, presumably in the days when health and safety considerations were not taken quite as seriously as they are today!
The imaging science community owes much to Michael, as do I personally, and the wider community of photographers within and outside The Society. He will be greatly missed by those many people who knew him in his very wide ranging activities, but by none more so than his wife Penny, his sons Peter and James, and their six grandchildren.
Professor Ralph Jacobson ASIS HonFRPS