“It is my hope that Old Boys may relate to different images and find joy in having their memories jogged by forgotten familiarities...”
Christ’s College. Before embarking on the project, John sought permission from Mr Creese, who agreed on the conditions that any profits go to the Camera Club and that his academic studies not be compromised. The book – still found in the College Library, the Harris Collection, and the College Museum, and on many Old Boys’ bookshelves – sold for $1, marginally more than the printing cost. John recalls the support of his Richards housemates (many of whom appear in the photos), including Graham Blundell (7657), who encouraged his father, the Evening Post editor, to hire John as a cadet photographer during the summer holidays. It was the start of a distinguished career in photography. Together with Yva Momatiuk, his wife and professional partner, John has had an international career in photojournalism spanning more than 50 years, including work for the National Geographic Society.
John has given the Archives and College permission to access, use, and work with these images. Some need captions and keywords added – a project for student archivists. Eastcott has provided information from memory, but there is still much collective knowledge to uncover. At 15, Eastcott was introduced by his father to A Poet and His Camera by the great American creative Gordon Parks. Parks wrote: “The subject matter is so much more important than the photographer.” Inspired by that sentiment, John hopes others will preserve the visual history of College. “I would like to strongly encourage Old Boys to support the College digital archive by submitting prints or scans of work they produced while at College. Somewhere within an image they captured may be a moment that rekindles a memory and brings a smile to another Old Boy’s face.”
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