VIDEO
“I never embarked in any one thing to which I have so entirely devoted myself, and to which I have devoted so much time, thought, and labour, and on the success of which I have staked so much reputation, and to which I have so largely committed myself and those who were disposed to place faith in me.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the incredible charity of brave volunteers who save lives at sea in the UK and Ireland. The organisation has been entirely funded by voluntary contributions for nearly 200 years.
The Lifeboat Station Project is Jack Lowe’s epic odyssey to photograph all 238 RNLI lifeboat stations on glass, relying on the support of his online community
After 150 stations and over 5 years working on the coast, Jack’s station visits came to an abrupt pause th March 2020.
The Lifeboat Station Project remained Jack’s full-time occupation throughout and he was finally able to return to lifeboat stations in March 2022 once receiving the go-ahead from the RNLI.
Although it was certainly a huge relief to resume his coastal journey, these remain very challenging times and Jack decided to stop making new work on the project in September 2024, which you can read about here .
Read on to learn more about the project…
Jack Lowe at Dover on 30th September 2018 (Photograph by KT Bruce)
Photography has been in Jack Lowe’s blood since he was a young boy. Aged 8, he received a Kodak Instamatic camera from his grandmother, a turning point from which he’s never looked back.
The earliest seeds of this project were sown in Jack’s childhood, when his love for lifeboats began. Much later in life, after a career in photography, Jack found himself searching for a change in direction — something that would take him away from sitting in front of computers all day!
He considered what he felt most passionate about and wrote these words on a piece of paper:
That scrap of paper — along with a lot of thinking, dreaming and planning — led Jack to the idea of travelling to all 238 RNLI lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland to photograph them, in order to preserve a vital aspect of our island nation’s culture for generations to come.
And there’s a twist! Jack works as the Victorians used to, making the photographs on glass from his mobile darkroom — a decommissioned ambulance called Neena .
By visiting every RNLI Lifeboat Station
The project is the first time anyone has tried to create a complete photographic record of every single RNLI lifeboat crew, and it soon became noted for its enormous historic and cultural significance.
The photographs will ultimately be showcased in a stunning exhibition and book, both of which are set to be huge fundraisers for the RNLI.
A selection of the work has been acquired for two national collections so far:
The National Collection of Welsh Photographs
The National Maritime Museum
WHO’S BACKING THE PROJECT?
Jack hasn’t been commissioned to make The Lifeboat Station Project. It’s an idea he came up with in 2012 and one that he believes in so strongly that he’s simply got on with it, relying on his community of supporters online shop
Learn about all the ways you can support the project here:
THE VISION
Using a process known as wet collodion , Jack is crafting unique photographs on glass, capturing the view from each station and the waters protected by the RNLI crews.
As well as the view from each station Coxswains and Helms the women mechanics crews
Patrick ‘Patch’ Harvey, Penlee RNLI Coxswain, September 2015, 12×10 inch Clear Glass Ambrotype
Each glass plate — known as an Ambrotype — is a beautiful standalone artwork. However, the true glory of such an endeavour will be realised in bringing around 1000 photographs together as an exhibition and book.
Jack’s ultimate vision is to show the photographs in geographic order around a huge gallery space; as the audience stands in the middle of the venue and looks around, the sensation of looking out to sea from coastline of the UK and Ireland will be extraordinary.
His audio recordings
Never one to think small, Jack dreams of exhibiting the project in a high profile venue with Neena (his mobile darkroom) as a centrepiece so that visitors can see where all the photographs were made. If the venue is large enough to accommodate an all-weather lifeboat too, then all the better!
Jack will also publish a stunning book once he has completed The Lifeboat Station Project. It will likely need to be more than one volume, hopefully including some of the sound recordings along with fold-out maps and a foreword by someone special.
As part of his contribution to the RNLI community — and in exchange for their help on the day — Jack gifts each station two limited edition prints o. 1 of the crew photograph and Print No. 1 of the Coxswain/Helm portrait.
All-in-all, The Lifeboat Station Project has become much greater than Jack’s initial idea and vision, a journey which he now refers to as his life’s work.
Hastings RNLI Women, September 2018, 12×10 inch Clear Glass Ambrotype
TRACKING THE PROJECT The Lifeboat Station Project began on 12th January 2015.
At some point on the journey, Jack will be coming to an RNLI Lifeboat Station near you!
Keep track of his movements via the Newsletter Mission Map Twitter The LSP Society