An English photographer is holding the first ever exhibition of digital imaging at a childhood haunt of author J.R.R. Tolkien in Hall Green, Birmingham, England.
Sarehole Mill, the last functioning watermill in Birmingham, is now a museum and place of international pilgrimage for fans of ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’, and hosts the annual Tolkien Weekend (next on 19-20 May, 2007)
Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien lived nearby as a child, and often visited the Mill, which features in his all-time bestselling fantasy books as ‘The Old Mill’ at Hobbiton, the home town of hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. He also explored nearby Moseley Bog nature reserve and later lived near ‘The Two Towers’ in Edgbaston.
Stuart Williams, whose home is in Bloxwich – part of The Black Country, which inspired the dark land of Mordor – was invited by the museum to display his spectacular photographic art there for the entire season until October 28.
Stuart said “The exhibition offers a selection of images from my project ‘On the Trail of Tolkien’, using computers to transform real world places which inspired the author into his legendary fantasy world of Middle-earth. This year is the 70th anniversary of the publication of ‘The Hobbit’, and I am delighted that Sarehole Mill Museum has kindly framed 10 special prints and an explanatory panel in the Mill’s new tea room, which opened at the end of March.”
Sarehole Mill is in Cole Bank Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England. Tel: 0121 777 6612 for opening hours.
For more information on the exhibition and the work of Stuart Williams, see his website www.stuartwilliams.net
