Early Photography - Photographic Societies

Early British

Photographic Societies

1840s

Photography was new, and in England and Wales was protected by copyright. A few professional photographers set up their businesses. A few amateur photographers were experimenting. A few photographers from Edinburgh established the Edinburgh Calotype Club.

1851-1853

The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London included a section on photography This greatly increased interest in photography, and the number of people who wished to practice photography.

Talbot’s patent was a limiting factor in England and Wales (but never in Scotland). Pressure was put on Talbot to abandon his patent, and he relented, to some extent.

At about this time, photography became more practical with the introduction of the wet collodion process

The scene was set for the creation of The Photographic Society. In December 1852, The Royal Society of Arts hosted their 1^st Photographic Exhibition, at which Roger Fenton read a paper on the formation of a Photographic Society.

A Public Meeting was called and The Photographic Society was established in Jan 1853. The Chair of the inaugural meeting was first offered to Fox Talbot who declined; then accepted by Charles Eastlake. The first Council of the Society was proposed by Mr Shadbolt. Charles Eastlake was elected President and Roger Fenton was elected Secretary.

Photographic Society of London

The society was established in 1853, named The Photographic Society of London. It later became The Royal Photographic Society, based for many years in London, then moving to Bath with a world-wide membership, offering the photographic distinctions: LRPS, ARPS, FRPS.

From the outset, it understood the importance that photographic societies would play in the development of photography.

The Photographic Society of London had its own publication - The Journal of the Photographic Society. The first edition, in 1853 began:

The Object of the Photographic Society is the Promotion of the Art and Science of Photography by the interchange of thought and experience among photographers. ….

The Council of the Photographic Society have therefore decided to publish a Journal.

Reference to the Art and Science of Photography is interesting at this early stage. For many years into the future, there would be hot debate as to whether or not photography was a fine art.

1854 and beyond

Throughout the 1850, a number of photographic societies were established throughout Britain. In fact the Leeds Photographic Society was established in 1852; the year before the Photographic Society of London began.

Many of the societies were short-lived, the wet collodion process proving to be more troublesome than expected.

Britain had to wait until late in the 19th century to see a revival in photographic societies, helped by the availability of the ready-made gelatine dry plates in the 1880s and hand-held cameras in the 1890s.