Doing Science in the Age of Photography

Event Description

With Professor Kelly Wilder

Lecture sponsored by De Montfort University

Professor Kelly Wilder DPhil

Professor of Photographic History, Director, Photographic History Research Centre and Director, Institute of Art and Design, De Montfort University

Lecture outline

Photography and Science grew professional together in the second half of the Nineteenth century, exerting a profound influence on one another. From Astronomy to Geology, photography was not just a method of envisioning science, it was wrapped up in all aspects of experimentation, observation and recording of scientific phenomena. This lecture demonstrates how photography was embedded deeply into new ways of working, recording, transmitting and archiving science, at a time when science was forming an understanding about what it meant to do science.

Biographical note

Professor Kelley Wilder is a photographic historian, with interests in the cultures of science and knowledge generated by photography and photographic practice. In her work Kelley considers the photographic practices of nineteenth century scientists and artists like William Henry Fox Talbot, Sir John Herschel, Henri Becquerel and others. New projects include work on Photographic catalogues and archives, and nineteenth and twentieth century material cultures of photographic industry.

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in Hansom Hall - how to find Hansom Hall.

Please note that tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

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