Hill & Adamson: Pioneers of Photography

Saturday 26 Sep

Join publisher Alexander Hamilton, historian Sara Stevenson and artist Caroline Douglas for a discussion on the enduring significance of David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson’s pioneering photography. The conversation will be inspired by Stevenson’s new publication on the Firth of Forth fisherfolk and Douglas’s new work created for PhotoDalkeith RSA200.

Image Credit:D O Hill and Robert Adamson Elizabeth Johnston Hall, A Newhaven Beauty, ‘It’s no fish you’re buying, it’s men’s lives’, Calotype, National Galleries of Scotland.

Supported by BTO, sponsor of the 2026 PhotoDalkeith programme.

Hill & Adamson’s Fisherwomen and Men of the Firth of Forth

Event Details | Saturday 26 September | 11:00–15:00

Join publisher Alexander Hamilton, historian Sara Stevenson and contemporary artist Caroline Douglas for a discussion exploring the significance of David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson’s pioneering photography, and its continuing relevance today. The conversation will draw on Stevenson’s new publication on the Firth of Forth fisherfolk and Douglas’s new work created for PhotoDalkeith RSA 200, offering perspectives on how these remarkable images continue to inspire historical research and contemporary artistic practice.

Following a short break, visitors are invited to join a tour of the exhibition led by artist-curator Calum Colvin RSA, curator Julie Lawson and RSA Head of Collections Sandy Wood.

Share this page: