Werner Forman Archive: music the universal language

Werner Forman Archive press release – 4 October, 2017.

Every single culture we know of, and our early ancestors, had music. Werner Forman travelled the world for eight decades photographing many different cultures. He often captured images relating to music and musical instruments, and the Werner Forman Archive has an outstanding collection of music-related images going back to the dawn of history.

Barbara Heller, Director Werner Forman Archive, says, “We have a fascinating collection of images of music and musicians spanning cultures ancient and modern and from most parts of the world. These pictures speak to us, across the generations and distances, because these people, however unlike us in terms of their language, rituals, and culture, liked music, and we can empathise with that.”

“The quality of photography easily sets them apart from other material.”
– Julie McMahon, Folio Society –

Figure of a kneeling female musician with a distinctive high chignon hairstyle, holding a flute. This would have been one of a group of musicians representing a courtly ensemble that would have been placed in the tomb of a deceased member of the imperial family. Country of Origin: China. Date/Period: Tang dynasty, AD 618-906. Material Size: glazed pottery. © Werner Forman Archive/ Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo