Vera Conlon
{{Short description|British archaeological photographer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox academic
| birth_date = 12 August 1906
| death_date = 23 January 1994
| birth_place = Streatham, Surrey, England
| death_place = Swanage, Dorset, England
| workplaces = UCL Institute of Archaeology
}}
Vera Marjorie Conlon ({{Nee|Drake}}, 12 August 1906 - 23 January 1994) was a British archaeological photographer who is noted for her work at the UCL Institute of Archaeology and for publishing a textbook about photographic techniques for archaeologists.
Life
Conlon was born in Streatham, Surrey, as Vera Marjorie Drake and was later described as having a "strong cockney accent."{{Cite book |last=Chapman |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hi5AEAAAQBAJ&dq=vera+conlon&pg=PA20 |title=A Life in Balkan Archaeology |date=2021-10-13 |publisher=Oxbow Books |isbn=978-1-78925-732-8 |pages=20 |language=en}} She was known by the nickname "Connie".
Conlon was one of the early women employees at the UCL Institute of Archaeology in London.{{Cite journal |last=Pye |first=Elizabeth |date=2015-11-16 |title=From the Archives: Women of the Early Institute |url=https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/ai/article/id/284/ |journal=Archaeology International |language= |volume=18 |issue=1 |doi=10.5334/ai.1817 |doi-access=free |issn=2048-4194}} She worked as the Head of the Photography Department.{{Cite book |last=Chapman |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hi5AEAAAQBAJ&dq=vera+conlon&pg=PA20 |title=A Life in Balkan Archaeology |date=2021-10-13 |publisher=Oxbow Books |isbn=978-1-78925-732-8 |pages=30 |language=en}} She retired in 1971.
After retiring, she published [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IP7bAAAAMAAJ&q=vera+conlon&dq=vera+conlon&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y Camera Techniques in Archaeology], a textbook for archaeologists, in 1973.{{Cite book |last=Conlon |first=Vera M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IP7bAAAAMAAJ&q=vera+conlon |title=Camera Techniques in Archaeology |date=1973 |publisher=J. Baker |isbn=978-0-212-98422-0 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last1=Howell |first1=Carol L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I5MSAQAAIAAJ&q=vera+conlon+photography |title=A Practical Guide to Archaeological Photography |last2=Blanc |first2=Warren |date=1992 |publisher=Institute of Archaeology, University of California |isbn=978-0-917956-73-7 |pages=134 |language=en}} The book adapted advice to the newest camera and darkroom equipment available to photographers.{{Cite book |last=Pasternak |first=Gil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zkUHEAAAQBAJ&dq=vera+conlon&pg=PT251 |title=The Handbook of Photography Studies |date=2020-08-13 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-21307-2 |pages=201 |language=en}} It became a notable work about the specific photographic techniques required for field archaeology{{Cite book |last=Woodhead |first=A. G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rwA4AAAAIAAJ&dq=vera+conlon&pg=PA84 |title=The Study of Greek Inscriptions |date=1968-01-02 |publisher=CUP Archive |pages=84 |language=en}} and "showed a keen awareness of photography's own lineage in archaeology."
References
{{Ref list}}
{{Archaeologist-stub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conlon, Vera}}
Category:British women archaeologists
Category:British women photographers
Category:Academics of the UCL Institute of Archaeology
Category:British women academics
Category:People from Streatham
Category:Photographers from London
Category:Archaeological photographers