RPS International Photography Exhibition

Published:: 26 June 2024

Two people in protective outfits and masks jump in puddles in a forest, in an image entitled Tree Huggers from the Future by George McLeod — Tree Huggers from the Future by George McLeod | © George McLeod

Discover a selection of artworks from the world's longest running photography exhibition, curated for the Fox Talbot Museum in collaboration with the Royal Photographic Society (RPS). From 29 June 2024 until 27 April 2025, see images from 37 international photographers exhibited in the gallery space at Lacock.

The Home of Photography

Photography exhibitions have an important connection to Lacock as it was the home of Victorian photographic pioneers Henry and Constance Talbot, who experimented with early modern photographic techniques in the1800s. Henry successfully created the first ever negative at the abbey in the 1830s and not long after patented his calotype process. You can see the window he captured in the first negative in the Abbey's South Gallery. The Fox Talbot Museum shares the story of his experiments and impact on modern photography, and hosts regularly changing exhibitions celebrating modern and traditional techniques.

Find out more about Henry Fox Talbot here

The RPS at Lacock Abbey

The Royal Photographic Society was founded in 1853 and is one of the world's oldest photographic societies. The society's International Photography Exhibition has been held almost every year since 1854, and has now travelled to the upper gallery space of the Fox Talbot Museum with pieces from 37 photographers. Showcasing a diverse range of contemporary photography, more than 15,000 photographers - both amateur and professional - submitted work for consideration to the RPS over the last three years. The exhibition at the Fox Talbot Museum represents a selection from the last three years worth of RPS exhibitions.

A selection of artworks on display in the International Photography Exhibition at the Fox Talbot Museum — Artworks on display in the Fox Talbot Museum as part of the International Photography Exhibition | © National Trust/Aby Davis

‘For the past 165 years, the International Photography Exhibition has reflected how people see and think about things, and this exhibition is no exception. Many photographers focus on themes including the environment, identity, heritage, isolation, community, sport, memory, belonging and humour. This exhibition is about how contemporary photographers engage with aspects of the world that are not only visually compelling but also significant.’