Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE

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Walter Carrington's Study

Walter Carrington's Study

Isn't it fascinating when we may visit someone for the first time and although we may know them to some degree, when we see their home, maybe their living room we discover a whole lot more about them? In such circumstances we discover their sense of taste, their preferred styles, their interests by means of ornaments, collected trophies, decorations, souvenirs from trips abroad, pictures of the family. A room that someone has occupied for many years can often accumulate many objects that are fascinating in themselves and also tell us a lot about the person.

It has recently been my honour and privelege to be able to produce a set of photographs of just such a room; it is the study of the man who trained me as a teacher of the Alexander Technique, and what a fascinating room! Walter Carrington was a leading figure in the teaching and development of the Alexander Technique. He trained with F.M. Alexander in 1936-39 and subsequently worked with him for 20 years until Alexander died. Walter then set up another training course for teachers of the Alexander Technique, The Constructive Teaching Centre in Holland Park, London W11 where he trained hundreds of teachers and worked with thousands of others over many decades until he died in 2005. Students from his school now teach the Alexander Technique worldwide, many of whom have set up their own teacher training centres.

Walter Carrington had a great many interests including horse riding, opera, collecting items from world travels, he was an insatiable reader and gathered a large collection of books including one of the largest of equestrian literature in this country. Over a period of around 15 years I was in a fortunate position to see Walter almost every day and also had many lessons myself in his study. At the time of his death I had the opportunity of taking a number of 'photographic studies' of his room of which this picture is one example. Only now have I printed them by hand in my darkroom and with the permission of his family, posted the collection on my photography website.

If you're interested, you can view the collection . I hope the photographs go some way to giving an indication of how remarkable and fascinating a person was Walter Carrington.

Posted by Noël on June 7, 2007 9:14 AM | Permalink