An Evening with Vanessa Finney

Scientific Photography at the 19th century museum

Join Curator of Capturing Nature Vanessa Finney as she examines the 1860s, where scientists and skilled museum technicians at the Australian Museum in Sydney began to experiment with the new technology of photography. The equipment was heavy, the specimens they wanted to photograph were often smelly and awkward. Results were unpredictable as the men perfected their elusive art. But just as it changed the way we see the world with new mechanical eyes, photography changed science and the museum too.

Gerard Krefft and Henry Barnes left behind a fascinating early visual history of their work at the museum, and some of the earliest scientific photography in Australia. This talk will put their story in the context of the larger history of photography in Australia.

Vanessa Finney is the curator of the Capturing Nature exhibition and author of the accompanying book. She is Head of World Cultures, Archives and Library Collections at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

Event from 6pm

Talk commences 6.20

Light refreshments will be served