Exhibition celebrating 200 years of Scottish photography to go on display at stately home
The exhibition explores 200 years of photography
A landmark photography exhibition celebrating 200 years of Scottish photography - starting with the work of David Octavius Hill, one of the founders of the RSA and a pioneer of early photography - is to go on display as part of the Royal Scottish Academy's bicentenary programme.
Drawing on the RSA's Recognised Collection of National Significance to Scotland, the exhibition, which will open at Dalkeith Palace later this month, traces the development of Scottish photography across two centuries.
Historic works are shown alongside pieces from artists' studios and new commissions created specifically for the exhibition by Academician Calum Colvin, Caroline Douglas, and Irvine and Spence.
Photography has been closely connected to the RSA since the nineteenth century, beginning with the pioneering artistic experiments of founding Academician David Octavius Hill. Over the decades, the Academy has championed photography through its collection, awards programmes and the election of leading photographers as Academicians.
The display will include work by Hill, from Perth, who died in 1870 and worked with engineer and photographer Robert Adamson in their studio to produce calotypes - an early photographic process that used paper coated with silver chemicals to create a negative image.
Known as one of the first in the trade who transformed photography into an art form, Hill was the unpaid secretary of the newly established RSA between 1930 and 1936.
The exhibition will explore the history of Scottish photography, from the ground breaking calotypes of Hill and Adamson to contemporary documentary practice, showcasing how the medium continues to capture Scotland's people, places and stories.
Curator Calum Colvin said: “We are delighted to present this exhibition at Dalkeith Palace, which traces the evolution of photography from its pioneering beginnings to the present day through works by Royal Scottish Academy Academicians, treasures from the RSA Collections, and RSA award-winning artists and photographers.”
The exhibition extends beyond the palace walls, with large-scale outdoor photographic installations and interactive photo frames throughout Dalkeith Country Park.
Events running alongside the main exhibition include Ian Hamilton Finlay: Concrete as an Art Form; a live performance by acclaimed Dada Interpreter and pianist Florian Kaplick and Ruskin Live, where Paul O'Keeffe recreates John Ruskin's provocative 1853 Edinburgh lecture. Meanwhile, Hill and Adamson: Pioneers of Photography will feature a conversation between publisher Alexander Hamilton, author Sara Stevenson and artist Caroline Douglas celebrating the pioneering photographers.
Throughout 2026, the RSA is celebrating its 200th anniversary with more than 120 partners, galleries and cultural institutions across Scotland. RSA200: Celebrating Together brings communities together through exhibitions, events and performances.
Sandy Wood, RSA head of collections, said: “For RSA200, we are delighted to be partnering with PhotoDalkeith to present a major survey of Scottish photography within an RSA context. From the early experiments of RSA founding Academician David Octavius Hill to the contemporary photography of today's RSA Academicians and award winners, the history of photography is intimately connected to that of the Royal Scottish Academy.”
PhotoDalkeith RSA200 opens to the public on 22nd August and runs weekly from Friday to Sunday until 27 September.
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