The earliest surviving photograph is believed to have been made in 1824-26, and the 200th anniversary of the birth of the medium has been celebrated across 2024-26. The course will look at how the pioneers built on the foundations in chemistry and optics to create a recognisably modern medium in the 19th Century. Across five weeks we will look at: 1. The practical developments in chemistry, optics and camera technology that made photography possible. 2. Photography in society: use as medium of record, publicity, news and campaigning. 3. Photography and art: is it an art form or merely mechanical means of reproduction? 4. Women and photography: women as photographers and as the subjects of photography 5. How the photography of exploration shaped the Victorian image of Africa. The course is for anyone with an interest in photography and it assumes no prior knowledge of the medium and its history.