In 1839 when Louis Daguerre patented daguerreotype, the first practical photographic process, the process was only in black and white. Colour photography as a practical development was still many decades in the future.

Nevertheless, from its initial development, colour photography was in the minds of photographers. Eventually, in 1861, James Clerk Maxwell, the well known Scottish mathematician and physicist, developed the first permanent colour photograph. His process, nevertheless, was fairly basic and limited, colour-wise.

Because colour was desirable however, photographers, almost from the beginning, began to hand-tint their pictures with paints and dyes. This practise was to continue well into the next century the early 1900s up to the 1920s and 30s is considered the "golden age" of the hand-tinted photograph. Eventually, what with the advances in colour photography, the practice of hand-tinting went out of fashion. However I have observed that in recent years there has been a revival of the art, and by some notable artists as well.

The process itself is related to the much older painting technique of glaze painting. This technique was still being practised by academic painters in Daguerre's day and most likely influenced the development of hand-tinted photographs. Basically, artists would first paint a monochromatic underpainting, much like a black and white photograph. Afterward, the artist would apply many layers of coloured glaze a varnish-like substance eventually bringing the painting to full colour. These glaze paintings are noted for their great richness of colour and a considerable sense of depth. One of the best known practitioners of this technique was the sixteenth century Venetian painter, Titian.

Here in Bermuda, it is known that John Athill Frith, along with artist Edward James, hand-tinted photographs, probably as early as the 1860s. Other Bermudian photographers who are known for their hand-tinted photographs are A. H. Hayward, M. A. Trott and Edith Sarah Watson.

The present Masterworks Museum exhibition of hand-tinted photographs by Theresa Airey is of considerable interest, not only as a exhibition, but also because it has been produced in conjunction with a book called 'Bermuda, Then and Now'. The book resulted from an encounter Airey had with a Mr. Wells who had purchased the century-old negatives which had been taken by an American visitor from the great grandson of the original photographer. Later, the negatives were bought by Christopher Grimes, who worked along with Airey to produce the book.

The book is a fascinating look at certain Bermuda scenes as they appeared a century ago and then as they appear today. The present-day scenes were taken by Ms Airey, and are in full colour.

The exhibition shows a selection of her hand-tinted reconstructions of these old pictures. Additionally, they are a revival here in Bermuda, of the art of hand-tinting photographs. The colours she has selected in colouring her photographs have an antique aura about them. They seem to be from another era, and in her book, these tinted photographs are shown beside the scene as it presently is. The contrast is quite revealing.

The pictures Ms Airey has selected for the exhibition show a side of Bermuda that in some cases has changed remarkably little. Others are of places that are so changed as to be almost unrecognisable.

Of course, Bermuda has changed in the intervening century in some cases for the better, but also often for the worse. Altogether, the exhibition pictures a Bermuda that was less crowded, quieter, more picturesque. This is a show that is full of nostalgia and, for a very few, wonderful memories. Even those of us who are too young to remember that time, the show is nevertheless, one of great appeal to Bermudians.

The exhibition continues through next Tuesday, January 27. I think you will find this a fascinating show. It is one I recommend.