I have posted some images of Ian MacKenzie’s funeral at the following site: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=146446&id=659922299&l=105d52ab6d
Lowering the Willow Coffin, Ian MacKenzie Burial at Ardearg, 12 February 2010; photo by Gonzalo Mazzei
Following a meeting last month with David Nicolson (Development Manager at the University of Edinburgh), it was suggested that I seek the advice of my own solicitor, Mr Bowman (at Bonar MacKenzie) in order to set up the Ian MacKenzie Trust. My appointment with Mr Bowman was last week and his advice was that setting up and administration of a trust would eat up a large portion of the money donated.
So, we have opted to go the route of a Memorial Fund so that the contributions will go toward the intended purpose. I have called a meeting for 3rd March where we will discuss strategies and draw up an action plan. My first thought is to mount an Ian MacKenzie Memorial Exhibition in Edinburgh (possibly for the end of July 2010). I have been granted permission to go to his workplace one day per week in order to go through his vast store of images and select a short-list of pieces for display.
If this exhibition proves to be cost-effective, we hope to tour it round Scotland, inviting people in each area to bring their own ethnological photographs to be copied and stored in the School of Scottish Studies Archives. This was Ian’s dream: to expand the archives and to have representative photographs from all regions of Scotland stored in Edinburgh.
I would like to thank all of you who have made donations to the fund. I am currently looking into creating a limited edition print of one of Ian’s most beautiful works: a triptych of landscape images from the Western Isles as a gift for those who have contributed £50 ($100) or more. If you are eligible for this gift but your donation was anonymous, please get in touch to let me know: talithamac@googlemail.com
Photo by Gonzalo Mazzei: Triptych by Ian MacKenzie; Wedding Photo by Alex Spence