which broke from the RPS because it was too
‘‘purely scientific’’ and ‘‘practical’’ in its approach
to photography. It is not surprising, then, that the
core collection secured by Johnston has a picto-
rial bias.
According to Johnston’s 1930 Presidential Ad-
dress, the collection comprised no more than 100
framed prints when he began acting as curator in
- By 1930, however, he had acquired notable
works by Henry Peach Robinson, whom he consid-
ered the ‘‘Father of Pictorialism.’’ Johnston also
secured the significant private collections of Alvin
Langdon Coburn and Harold Holcroft. In the
1940s, Johnston was clearly collecting work that
were representative of a particular period, rather
than merely accumulating the ‘‘finest examples of
photography.’’ Most of the acquisitions were do-
nated, rather than purchased.
After Johnston’s death in 1955, the role of
Honorary Curator went to his wife, Florence. Sub-
sequently, the collection was cared for by a succes-
sion of curators, some paid, some unpaid. These
include Gail Buckland, Carolyn Bloore, Arthur
Gill, Valerie Lloyd, Brian Coe, Margaret Harker,
and Pam Roberts.
The RPS Collection has long been recognised
for its international importance. Its vast holdings
incorporate daguerreotypes, photogenic drawings,
waxed-paper negatives, albumen prints,cartes-de-
visite, platinotypes, bromoil transfers, and gelatin
silver prints. In addition, it demonstrates fine
examples of little-known and experimental pro-
cesses. It has images and albums by seminal nine-
teenth century photographers such as William
Henry Fox Talbot, David Octavius Hill and Ro-
bert Adamson, Oscar Gustave Rejlander, and
Julia Margaret Cameron, and boasts the world’s
largest collection of prints by Fenton. A notable
collection of correspondence between photogra-
phers and curators provides a vital context for
many aspects of the visual material. The extensive
library includes rare books and international peri-
odicals, while the equipment collection spans the
entire history of photography, often relating di-
rectly to material in the library and the photo-
graphic collection.
The diverse collection depends not only on the
informed choices of previous curators, but also on
the structure of the RPS. There are 18 regional
groups and 15 special interest groups. Signifi-
cantly, the Society’s specialist groups have ensured
that the former’s original interest in promoting
photography in all its applications is reflected in
the collection. For example, there exists a unique
record of medical photography, documenting dis-
eases and operations, and acquired from the RPS
Medical Group during the 1980s. A fund set up by
the American, Stephen Tyng, and administered by
the RPS Pictorial Group since 1927, has enabled
the purchase of over 150 photographs, including
those by Arthur Kales, Asahachi Kono, and
Rudolf Koppitz. The establishing of a Colour
Group in 1927, ensured that the RPS acted as a
forerunner in photographic experimentation. Two
founder members, Agnes B. Warburg and Violet
Blaiklock, are very well represented in the RPS col-
lection. Their work contributes to our understand-
ing of early twentieth-century colour processes, and
helps to demonstrate women’s participation in
advancing the art and science of photography. The
Historical Society, formed in 1972, produces a quar-
terly publication,The PhotoHistorian, often with
supplements that provide invaluable documenta-
tion relating to the history of photography.
The RPS is a living collection, and pertinent
acquisitions are still made in order to augment
and complement the existing holdings.
JaneFletcherSeealso:Archives; Coburn, Alvin Langdon; History
of Photography: Nineteenth-Century Foundations;
History of Photography: Twentieth-Century Pioneers;
Linked Ring; Museums: Europe; Photo-Secession;
Photo-Secessionists; Photography in Europe: An
Overview; Professional OrganizationsFurther Reading
Cox, Julian, and Colin Ford.Julia Margaret Cameron: The
Complete Photographs. London: Thames and Hudson,
2003.
Harker, Margaret.Henry Peach Robinson: Master of the
Photographic Art 1830–1901. Oxford: Blackwell, 1988.
——— .The Linked Ring: The Secession in Photography
in Britain, 1892–1910. London: Heinemann, 1979.
Roberts, Pam.The Royal Photographic Society. Bath: The
Royal Photographic Society, 1994.
Roberts, Pam.Photogenic: From the Collection of the Royal
Photographic Society. London: Scriptum Editions and
Bath: The Royal Photographic Society, 2000.
Sieberling, Grace, and Carolyn Bloore.Amateurs, Photo-
graphy and the Mid-Victorian Imagination. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1986.
http://www.rps.org (accessed May 22, 2005).ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, THE