Unboxing weird and wonderful nature photography

Featuring a cast of stuffed animals, intelligent and not so intelligent birds, incredible high-speed images of insects, a one-eyed owl photographer, and the ingenious exploits of the Kearton brothers, who would do anything to get that perfect shot.

Join Mary Phan, V&A Curatorial in Photography, supported by The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation as she reveals some of the more quirkier nature images from the Royal Photographic Society collection (RPS).

The Royal Photographic Society was founded in 1853 with the objective of promoting the art and science of photography. It is one of the largest collections of British photographic history with 400,000 objects, including original prints, archival correspondences and records, cameras and other technical equipment.

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Header image:
Barn owl with vole, photograph by Eric Hosking. Museum no. RPS.3102-2023. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London