More than 180 years ago, Robert Adamson founded one of the world’s first photography studios. It was located on Carlton Hill in Edinburgh and marked the beginning of a city-wide appreciation for lens-based artwork that would continue for two centuries. Today, Scotland is known for both its home-grown talent, such as Niall McDiarmid and Sophie Gerrard, and for its huge collection of works from international artists and creatives.
The National Gallery of Scotland’s archive, first established 40 years ago, is made up of an impressive 55,000 pieces. The latest exhibition is an expansive and rich journey through the history of photography – and the nation’s love affair with the form. It begins with some of the earliest images ever taken, like Peter Welling’s Two Girls (1850), which shows a pair of young women sitting primly for a portrait.
What follows is a tour de force through the past 150 years, with world-famous pictures like Don McCullin’s Shell-shocked US Marine, The Battle of Hue (1968) transporting viewers to era-defining moments of the 20th century. International artists like Pieter Hugo and Viviane Sassen bring the collection up-to-date, demonstrating how traditional boundaries continue to be pushed and the future of fine art, fashion and portrait is filled with new and exciting creative possibilities.
The exhibition is a fitting ode to four decades dedicated to photography as an integral part of the art world. Attentions continue to turn towards a more inclusive and diverse future, and the images here offer a rich, varied foundation upon which the gallery can keep building a collection that reflects real life.
Celebrating 40 Years of Scotland’s Photography Collection is at National Galleries of Scotland until 16 March: nationalgalleries.org
Image Credits:
1. Arpita Shah, Tudong, from the series Purdah, The Sacred Cloth.
2. Mahtab Hussain, Pink jumper, hair design, bling from the series You Get Me, 2010 (printed 2021). © Mahtab Hussain.
3. Viviane Sassen, In Bloom, 2011. National Galleries of Scotland, purchased 2014.© Viviane Sassen.
4. Pieter Hugo, Portrait #12, Rwanda, 2015, 2015. © Pieter Hugo, courtesy Yossi Milo gallery, New York.
