Blogs

In a new blog post researchers Giorgia Tolfo and Katherine Howells reflect on their recent project focusing on the metadata in the National Archives's photographic copyright collections (COPY1). They look at the opportunities and challenges of collaborative digital experimentation.

As a result of this copyright registration system, in COPY 1 there are over 133,000 individual entry forms containing this valuable and fascinating information. Crucially, through the hard work of volunteers over several years, the entry forms for the registration of photographs have been fully transcribed into Discovery, making this rich metadata available to researchers.

Since this metadata has been made available on Discovery, researchers have been able to search the information using keywords. However, for a long time we have recognised that the research potential of this information goes much deeper than enabling simple keyword searching. Through the wide range of digital methods of data analysis available to us now, there could be many more opportunities to use this metadata to illuminate historical trends, surface new and little-known stories and much more. To invite new perspectives on how we could maximise the potential of this metadata, we have now released the full dataset on GitHub. Researchers can download it freely and experiment with it.

Read the full blog post here: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blogs/research-projects/developing-an-enhanced-dataset-for-the-history-of-photography/

Images: COPY1 records for P H Emerson's Gathering Water Lillies / The National Archives, Kew

A new episode of the A Photographic Life podcast has been posted every Wednesday since 13 June 2018. Its cuartor Grant Scott is inviting listeners and readers to a special day of all new photography related conversation, discussion and chat. It will be an opportunity to meet fellow photographic travellers, share opinions, ideas and make new friends. All the conversations will be recorded so if you are unable to attend no problem, you will be able to catch up on these at a later date wherever you get your podcasts.

The day will consist of: 

10.00am – Open
10.15am – Introduction: Dr Grant Scott
10.30am – The Story: Alys Tomlinson talks with Dr Grant Scott
Alys Tomlinson is a photographic artist based in London. She works mostly in black and white analogue on a large format camera, exploring themes of faith, ritual and identity. Alys grew up in Brighton and studied English Literature and Communications at the University of Leeds. After graduating, she moved to New York for a year and was given her first commission for Time Out, before returning to London to study photography at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. She later completed an MA in Anthropology of Travel, Tourism and Pilgrimage (Distinction) at SOAS, University of London, which tied in with her long-term, personal project about pilgrimage. Her book Ex-Voto was published by GOST Books in 2019, and Lost Summer was self-published in 2020. Alys recently finished work on a feature-length documentary film Mother Vera co-directed with Cécile Embleton. Her latest project Gli Isolani (The Islanders) was published by GOST Books in 2022. She combines commissioned work for editorial, design and advertising clients with personal work, which she publishes and exhibits. Alys’s work is collected privately and is in the following collections: National Portrait Gallery (London), The Rencontres d’Arles Collection, The Bodleian Library, and the Amber Side Collection.  www.alystomlinson.co.uk
11.15am – Q and A

11.30am – Break

11.45am – The Archive: Dr Michael Pritchard
Dr Michael Pritchard joined Christie’s, the fine art auction house, as a photography specialist in 1986 and grew their auctions of cameras and photographic equipment, setting many world auction records. Also working as an auctioneer, Pritchard became Director and International Business Director for collectibles for the auction house. He joined the Royal Photographic Society in 2011 as Chief Executive, becoming Director of Programmes from 2018-2023. During his tenure he brought a renewed public profile for the RPS  and oversaw an expansion in its public activities, growing its membership to the largest in its history. In 2024 he established his own photographic consultancy and continues to support the RPS. Pritchard continues to actively research the history of photography and regularly delivers conference papers and publishes across the field. He has taught the history of photography at De Montfort University and catalogued and organised the Kodak Historical Collection at the British Library.  He edits the British Photographic History website and The PhotoHistorianmagazine. He gives regular talks and has broadcast on a wide range of photographic subjects. His book A History of Photography in 50 Cameras (Bloomsbury) was published by Bloomsbury. https://mpritchard.squarespace.com
12.30pm – Q and A

12.45pm – Lunch

2.00pm The Portrait: Chris Floyd talks with Dr Grant Scott:
Chris Floyd is a British photographer and filmmaker.  His photographic work has appeared in some of the world’s most highly respected publications, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine and Wallpaper* among others. In 2022 he published his first monograph dedicated to the broad sweep of his career Not Just Pictures a 320-page volume, including his portrait work and 60 pieces of text that tell the stories behind some of his favourite pictures. Chris has produced commercial work for Apple, Avis, Glenfiddich, Philips, Sony, The National Lottery, and Virgin Radio. As a director he has produced moving image work for  BMW, Anthropologie, Nissan, Mr Porter, Sleaford Mods, The Smithsonian, Space NK, UBS, and Virgin Radio. https://www.chrisfloyd.com
2.45pm – Q and A

3.00pm – End

A Photographic Life ‘LIVE’ 2025
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, NHBB Building on the Headington Campus
Sunday, 26 October 2025 in the . Admission is free but registration is required
To book: https://unitednationsofphotography.com/2025/09/28/live-a-photographic-life-live-2025/

We’re looking for a Research Fellow in African Film and Visual History to join the international team responsible for the new research project The Uganda Film Unit Archive: Digitisation, Research and Restitution, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The project is led by Darren Newbury, Professor of Photographic History, School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Brighton and Richard Vokes, Professor of Anthropology and International Development, School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia; and involves collaboration with the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.

You will be working closely with Professor Newbury and Professor Vokes playing an important role in the content mapping of the digitised Uganda Film Unit archive and related archival and historical research; supporting fieldwork, data collection and analysis relating to the responses to the archival footage among Ugandan publics and communities; and disseminating the project findings through conference presentation and publication.

To be successful in this role, you should have:

• A PhD (or an equivalent level of professional experience) in an area of history, theory or practice central to the focus of the research project
• Experience of researching in African History/Studies, Film or Media History, Visual Anthropology, or Visual Culture Studies
• Sufficient, up to date breadth or depth of specialist knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes
• Experience of data collection and data analysis (including visual data) and data management
• Evidence of commitment to engage in continuous professional development including knowledge of methods for data management
• Understanding of equality of opportunity, academic content and issues relating to student need and commitment to ethical research practices
• Competent and relevant IT skills, effective use of IT for research, and ideally teaching and learning purposes 

The appointment is for a fixed term (18.5 hours per week, 0.5 full time equivalent) with an ideal start date of 01/12/25 and an end date of 30/09/28.

Research Fellow in African Film and Visual History (0.5 full-time equivalent)
University of Brighton, School of Humanities and Social Science
Closes 28 October 2025
Details and apply here: https://jobs.brighton.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=HU3231-25-209

What does the photographic image share with synthetic dyes, fertilizer, and pharmaceuticals? Inspired by the city of Basel’s position as a global center of the chemical industry, this symposium investigates photography's chemical relations, tracing the networks shaped by material resources, industrial infrastructure, and scientific expertise, as well as the ecological legacies of photographic production. The symposium will conclude with an artist talk and workshop led by photographer and researcher Alice Cazenave (Goldsmiths, University of London), an advisor to the UK-based collective Sustainable Darkroom and current Ansel Adams Fellow at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona.

Chemical Histories of Photography
Symposium organized by NOMIS Fellow Katerina Korola
23-25 October 2025
Basel, University of Basel
Details: https://eikones.philhist.unibas.ch/en/news/events/event-details/chemical-histories-of-photography/

On the occassion of the Wolf Suschitzky Photography Prize 2025 we are delighted to present a special event celebrating two exciting new photography book publications about Austrian-British émigré photographers, Edith Tudor-Hart and Wolf Suschitzky. Both publications include many photographs which have been published for the first time.

In their respective talks, presenters Kurt Kaindl (Salzburg), Stefanie Pirker (London) and Julia Winckler (Brighton) offer insights into the photographers’ visual archives, largely now held at FOTOHOF>archiv in Salzburg, and from which these two new publications extensively draw upon. Contextual biographies of the two siblings will foreground the strength and ongoing relevance of their photographic legacies.

This event also coincides with several current exhibitions including the Wolf Suschitzky Retrospective Exile and Journeys, Monschau, Germany (until 21 December 2025), and Through a Bauhaus Lens: Edith Tudor-Hart and Isokon, Isokon Gallery, London, which runs until November 2025.

BOOK LAUNCH - Edith Tudor-Hart: A Steady Eye in Turbulent Times & Wolf Suschitzky: Exile and Journeys
15 October 2025 at 1900
Austrian Cultural Forum London
28 Rutland Gate
London SW7 1PQ
Book here: https://www.acflondon.org/events/book-launch-edith-tudor-hart-a-steady-eye-in-turbulent-times-wolf-suschitzky-exile-and-journeys/

For the first time, you can explore the full breadth of the AmberSide film, photography and paper archive in one place. The catalogue is text-based, allowing researchers, students and the public to navigate the Collection’s themes, projects and stories. While the collective cannot publish most images online due to copyright restrictions, the catalogue provides an unprecedented window into the scope and richness of Amber’s work.

This milestone has been made possible through support from the National Archives and the Pilgrim Trust’s Archives Revealed programme, and represents the result of a full year’s dedicated work. Special thanks to our Project Archivist Mark Cordell, AmberSide Trustee Liz Rees, and an incredible team of volunteers.

This is just the beginning: the catalogue will continue to grow and evolve as more materials are documented and made discoverable. It forms an invaluable tool for anyone interested in documentary film, photography, and the social history of the North East and beyond.

See: https://amber.epexio.com/

Various photographers later followed in the footsteps of Henry Van der Weyde to equip their studios to extend their opening hours or alleviate dull weather. One such person was London photographer James Arthur Langton (1856 – 1945), who later traded as A. J. Langton, or Arthur J. Langton.  

He had several studios, however c.1890 the printing on the back of one of his carte de visite stated that “At the Edgware Road Studios Portraits are taken at NIGHT or in any Weather by His Patent “PHOTOLUX” Apparatus, results equal to the best Sunlight Portraits.”

I’d be interested to hear from anyone who can provide me with information about this patent electric lighting system, was it really "His"? Thank you.

My Press Photo History Project received an email from David Newman who worked at Fox Photo agency from 1963-1967 which I hope some members here may find of interest - I did!

Good morning everyone, I am working on the beginnings of photography in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. In 1823, W. F. Talbot travelled to Italy via the St Gotthard Pass. There he made some pencil drawings (image attached). I wanted to ask if there are any bibliographical sources that confirm that Talbot was already using technical tools for drawing at that time. On this subject, I only have a few (valuable) observations by Michael Gray published online, but without any indication of sources.

I would like to thank in advance anyone who is willing to help me.

Alberto Azzi, (Tremona - Switzerland)

Image (above):  Between 1821 and 1834, Henry Talbot, his mother and half sisters, Caroline Augusta and Horatia Maria Feilding made regular extended journeys to the European mainland, visiting France, Northern Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the German states. Talbot, accompanied by his Italian manservant, Giovanni, in 1836took a long extended trip through France and Italy and eventually to the Greek Island of Corfu. Fluent in many languages and familiar with the arts and sciences in Europe, Talbot sought out and conversed with some of the most prominent scientific, and cultural figures whose work and interests most closely related to his own. On almost all his journeys Talbot included in his travel luggage a number of optical instruments and drawing aids, among which were various types of camera obscura, camera lucida and reflective devices (Claude glass, concave mirror etc), with sporadic reference being made, in his notebooks to a collimator, sextant, and theodolite.

Edinburgh's Stills Gallery has been given a collection of Creative Camera issues and memorabilia. The collection has donated by the former editor and documentary maker David Brittain who lives in Edinburgh. David has written extensively about photography magazines, and in 1999 he edited Creative Camera: 30 Years of Writing (Manchester University Press).

The donation to Stills's Library includes an almost complete run of Creative Camera (1968-2000) and most copies of the Camera Owner (1966-1968) which was a predecessor to Creative Camera. Also included is a complete set of DPICT/Creative Camera (2000-2001), a successor to Creative Camera which embraced digital printing technologies, in addition to copies of DPICT’s world-record breaking customised covers.

Over the years, Creative Camera was a unique depository of the work and writings of photographers including Raymond Moore, Jo Spence, Lewis Baltz, Robert Frank and many others. Under David Brittain publication became bi-monthly, and attracted a new crop of writers including Marina Warner, Rebecca Solnit and Geoffrey Batchen.

This collection can be consulted in person and also on the library’s online catalogue, where it is also possible to see all the images used on the front covers of the DPICT/Creative Camera launch issue. 

The V&A’s Royal Photographic Society (RPS) Collection holds around 290,000 photographs and transparencies. It includes early colour processes, hand-coloured albumen prints, and unique historical photographs — each with its own story.

As an RPS Cataloguing volunteer, you’ll help unlock these stories by studying the collection and gathering information to go on our public online database, Explore the Collections. As part of a team of volunteers and supported by staff, you will be key to ensuring the collection can be digitally discovered, understood and enjoyed worldwide, preserving this remarkable photographic heritage for the future.

Based in offices at V&A South Kensington, you will be asked to flexibly give one or two days a week (10:00-16:00). You’ll get the most out of the role if you can commit for up to six months, but we’re happy to consider shorter-term arrangements.

What you will be doing: 

• Using trusted sources at the V&A, research objects in the photographic collection to gather basic cataloguing information
• Record this information in Microsoft Excel to help make the collection digitally accessible
• Learn to handle collection objects with the support and training of our specialist team.

If you are shortlisted, you will need to attend an informal group session at V&A South Kensington on Wednesday 15 October from 2pm - 3.30pm. This is a chance to get to know us and find out more about the volunteer role. If you are invited to join the team, you will need to attend an induction session on Wednesday 22 October from 10am – 12pm.

Full details and apply: https://volunteer.vam.ac.uk/opportunities/97664-royal-photographic-society-rps-cataloguing-volunteer-2025-09-19

If anyone is at a loose end around the North East of England, please come along and join me at this exhibition of photographic works, including rare prints by Lyddell Sawyer, Frank Sutcliffe, Rosalind Maingot as well as images from across the world, some in their original leather bound albums from the 1860's. Works by Auty and Ruddock partnership including a stunning book designed as jewelery.

All are welcome.

And thank you to all who have shared their knowledge on here, it has come in very handy when researching the works and photographers included in the exhibition.

Art from the Lens Gallery.
From 30 October - 4 November 2025
9.30am – 7.00pm

Bottleworks
8 Riverside Walk
Byker
NE6 1LX
https://www.bottleworks.uk/

Considered one of the most important photo historians of the 20th century, Peter E. Palmquist (1936-2003) had a keen interest in the photography of the American West, California, and Humboldt County before 1950, and the history of women in photography worldwide. He published over 60 books and 340 articles and was a strong proponent of the concept of the independent researcher-writer in the field of photohistory. With co-author Thomas Kailbourn, he won the Caroline Bancroft Western History Prize for their book, Pioneer Photographers of the Far West. Professor Martha Sandweiss, Princeton University, wrote that Peter "established new ways of pursuing the history of photography, and with his collections and research notes soon to be accessible at Yale, he will be speaking to and inspiring new generations of students and researchers forever.” Established by Peter’s lifetime companion, Pam Mendelsohn, this fund supports the study of under-researched women photographers internationally, past and present, and under-researched Western American photographers through the Great Depression. 

A small panel of outside consultants with professional expertise in the field of photo history and/or grant reviewing will review the applications in order to determine the awards. Applications will be judged on the quality of the proposal, the ability of the applicant to carry out the project within the proposed budget and timeline, and the significance of the project to the field of photographic history. Past recipients and their projects are featured at palmquistgrants.com.

Range of Awards: $500 - $2,000

Funds must be used for research; grant funding may not be used to cover salaries, pay for books, hardware, or equipment, or for production costs such as printing and bookbinding, podcasts, blogs, etc. November 15, 2025 is the deadline for submissions. Grant recipients will be announced in mid-January 2026. If selected, recipients will be required to submit a digital copy of their work to HAF+WRCF, once complete. 

Eligibility:
Individuals and nonprofit institutions conducting research in either of the fields below are eligible to apply: 

• Under-researched women photographers internationally, past and present.
• Under-researched Western American photographers through the Great Depression.

Application and information can be found at The Humboldt Area Foundation

I have been invited to give a talk to the Marsh Forum which is made up of local history groups in Nottingham and the county. My talk 'Pioneers of Photography' uses much of the research carried out by Pauline and Bernard Heathcote, of course, and features Bromley House quite prominently. The talk is at Nottingham Central Library, Carrington Street, Nottingham on 18 October at 10.30. Admission is free but seats need to be booked. nottinghamcitylibraries.co.uk/pioneers-of-photography/

In August this year, a new organisation was founded, Vintage Photo Fairs Europe. On the initiative of Barnabé Moinard, promoter of the 24.39 Classic Photography Fair (Paris), Mila Palm, Reinhold Mittersakschmöller and Stefan Fiedler, promoters of Vienna Vintage Photo Fair, Eric Bos Waaldijk, promoter of Dialogue Vintage Photography (Amsterdam) and Michael Diemar, editor-in-chief of the magazine The Classic. Since then, two more fairs have joined the organisation, Bloomsbury Photograph Fair (London) and Fiera di Senigallia (Senigallia, Italy).

Barnabé Moinard explains, 'The growth of tabletop fairs in Europe in recent years has made the creation of this organisation and its platform an absolute necessity. These independent fairs already operate and interact with one another: this organisation and its platform will serve to unify the network, enabling more effective and impactful communication. Our ambition is to raise awareness about these fairs, spread knowledge about classic photography and hopefully inspire others to start tabletop fairs of their own.' The tabletop fairs attract both new and seasoned collectors, as well as curators from leading museums, but they fill important functions beyond commerce, as Barnabé Moinard points out, 'The world of photography has increasingly moved online and the fairs are among the few opportunities for the community of classic photography to meet up in the physical world to share their passions and exchange information and ideas.'

The website will launch a few weeks before the next edition of Dialogue Vintage Photography, which takes place on 20 September. Barnabé Moinard continues, 'The website is still quite basic. It has interviews with the promoters of the five fairs, a fair calendar, useful links, contact information and our social media details. Later in the year, we will add interviews with photography dealers and collectors, plus a section called “Collecting Matters”, covering a wide range a topics and practical information about photographic processes, how to take care of a collection and much else.'

The website also has a heading called 'Starting a fair?' Barnabé Moinard continues, 'We are inviting promoters of new tabletop fairs for classic photography to join as members, and it’s also an invitation for those who are thinking about starting a fair to contact us if they need practical advice about choice of venues, promotion strategies, etc. As fair promoters, we have built up a lot of knowledge over the years and we are more than happy to share it.'

The name Vintage Photo Fairs Europe makes it clear what the organisation is about. But why just Europe? There are tabletop fairs elsewhere. Barnabé explains, 'We decided that covering a larger geographical area would become too unwieldy. Vintage Photo Fairs Europe is a non-profit organisation, there is no membership fee, and the work is carried out on a voluntary basis by our members. We would welcome if fair promoters in other parts of the world started their own organisations, and we would of course be happy to collaborate with them.'

e: info@vintagephotofairseurope.com
w: www.vintagephotofairseurope.com

Image: 24.39 fair, Paris. Courtesy: Stefan Fiedler

The Haas collection, homed at the Library of Birmingham archives, consists of 258 boxes. This is made up of around 90 boxes of developed photographic prints, 93 folders of celluloid negatives, 45 boxes of glass negatives, and around 30 boxes of miscellaneous documents including invoices, letters, lecture notes and more. The collection is yet to be fully catalogued - at the moment, items are boxed, but more work is needed to re-organise them, highlight preservation needs, and digitise highlights. Supported by a National Archives https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-revealed/cataloguing-grant/current-and-past-projects/2024-2025/ - 'Archives Revealed' cataloguing grant, Bertz Associates, in collaboration with the Library of Birmingham, aim for the collection to be fully catalogued and promote public awareness of Haas and her work.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about making archives more accessible to local communities and exploring what they can mean for people today. You must be willing to be an active member of the team, an enthusiastic collaborator, and excited to learn and share expertise with others.

We encourage applications from current students and recent graduates. If you do not meet all points listed below, we would still encourage you to apply and demonstrate your interest in developing those skills and learning.

The job is fixed-term, from November 2025 to September 2026, and part-time, you will work on average two days a week.
Role: Cataloguer for the Lisel Haas collection
Terms: Fixed Term contract, November 2025 - September 2026 
Salary: £27,000 - £35,000 (depending on experience) pro rata, two days a week (approx 82 days)
Other information: We are open to freelance proposals
Location: In-person role, Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 2ND
Details and apply: https://sites.google.com/bertzassociates.net/bertzassociatesltd/work-with-us

Are you LGBTQIA+ or non-heterosexual?  Do you have experience of darkrooms in the home or in spaces that feel like home to you?  If so, then this project is for you!  I wish to speak to people who have experience of one or multiple of the following as part of my PhD research:

• Have you ever made or owned a home darkroom, permanent or semi-permanent, in Britan?

• Do you work with analogue and/or alternative photographic processes at home?

• Do you have memories of home darkrooms? Has this influenced your photography?

• Do you have experience of setting up or running a home or community darkroom?

• Have you been part of a community darkroom that felt like home?

If you are interested in learning more, please get in touch by:
Email: m.warren@westminster.ac.uk
m: 07902489831

Leaflet version of the above text can be found here

To oversee the archival management and curatorial understanding of the photographic collections of the University of Edinburgh, managed as part of its Heritage Collections, to internationally recognised standards. To improve finding aids and contextual information in collaboration with archivists, librarians and curators, and media specialists. To develop relationships with academic and local communities to share and disseminate content and research scope out work required for further understanding these collections and to lay foundations for future activity in this area.

Main responsibilities 

• Undertake a survey of photographic material to enable progression of cataloguing and management of the photographic collections in physical or digital formats to international standards such as ISO, and including digital preservation. Structure and disseminate any research findings in catalogue data, systems and in written and verbal form. (30%)
• Development of specialist collections knowledge such as understanding of the history of photographic processes and principles, by working with academic, technical, cultural or community partners to create, manage, teach with and evaluate collections-based collaborative and/or interdisciplinary projects. Manage interns and project staff that result from working with the Research Collections Discovery and Projects Team to develop grants and projects. (30%)
• Conduct collections-based or professional sector research which will further engender a research and collections culture within the Research Collections team and the wider University. (20%)
• Input into the curatorial development of the University’s Heritage Collections including new acquisitions, planning and policy development; working with relevant conservation and collections management staff to ensure that Accreditation standards are upheld in maintaining the security and preservation of the collection while facilitating access for researchers, students, and the public. (10%)
• Monitor professional developments and draw on expertise to represent and promote the University through knowledge and contributions to the heritage, cultural and engagement sector both nationally and internationally. (10%)

 This post is full-time (35 hours per week) fixed term contract for 36 months. However, we are open to considering part-time or flexible working patterns. 

 The salary for this post is £41,064 to £48,822 per annum (UE07).

Your skills and attributes for success:

• Postgraduate Degree in field of Archival, Library or Museum Management.
• Experience of managing photographic collections to internationally recognised standards.
• Ability to apply relevant knowledge, skills and techniques in research, discussion and dissemination.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to form and cultivate strong relationships with people from a wide variety of backgrounds based on credibility, trust and mutual respect. 
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex topics simply and compellingly to non-specialist audiences.

Full details and apply here

The British photographer and Magnum member and former president, died on 8 September at his home in Japan aged 78 years. He was a member of the Exit Photography Group in the 1970s. 

His archive will be held with the Bodleian Libraries.