The rich photographic history of one of Perth’s oldest institutions is to be celebrated in an exhibition.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science (PSNS), work both old and new will go on display in the civic hall of the newly renovated council building at 2 High Street from September 16 to 30.
The society was founded in 1867, eight years after the publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species in a time when scientific research was still largely pursued by enthusiastic amateurs.
From the very earliest days PSNS members were active in the newly emerging field of photography.
Magnus Jackson, who documented the Victorian life of Perth, was one of the early members of the society, operating a studio on Princes Street.
Eventually, the society formed a set of interest groups around a range of subjects ranging from botany and ornithology to local history and photography.
After 150 years the society continues to meet and promote an interest in the sciences and the photography section, now called Perthshire Photographic Society (PPS), is very active with more than 60 members.
Mike Bell, president of the Photographic Society, said: “The exhibition, the most ambitious that the society has ever staged, will feature some rare historical prints from the museum’s archive, a selection of original prints from Dr Bill Findlay’s collection of Perth in the 1970’s, around 100 contemporary prints and 300 digital images shown on large LCD screens.
“We have gathered the best of their current and past work into a visual feast of printed and digitally projected imagery.“
The exhibition is one part of a series of events to mark the 150th anniversary of PSNS. Colin Prior, the well-known landscape photographer will give a talk The Living Mountain in St Matthew’s Church on September 22.
Perth Museum will host an exhibition called The Study of Nature describing the early days of the society. Special guest speaker, Dame Evelyn Glennie, will kick off the society’s Curious Minds lecture series with an interactive conversation in Perth Concert Hall on October 4.
