Photography and the Doctor: John Adamson of St Andrews

Abstract

• Dr John Adamson (1809-70) was the older brother of the better-known Robert Adamson (1821-48), famous for his pioneering photography work with D.O. Hill. John Adamson's photography had to be fitted in around his medical practice in St Andrews. The photographs in this book are drawn mainly from two extremely early and significant albums presented to National Museums Scotland in the 1940s. This is the first publication devoted to placing John Adamson's work in its historical context and will acquaint a new audience with his photographs which, for conservation reasons, cannot be displayed all the time. An Appendix has technical information on, for example, camera obscura, lenses, daguerreotype, calotype, the albumen process, and the collodian negative process.