The story
Founded by Charles Lock Eastlake and Roger Fenton in 1853.1
Photographers were slow in coming together and forming clubs and societies. The first was an informal grouping the Edinburgh Calotype Club around 1843. The first British photographic society, the Leeds Photographic Society was formed in 1852 but between 1878 and 1881 it ceased to exist independently. The RPS has existed continuously since January 1853. In other countries the Société héliographique was established in Paris in 1851 and the Société française de photographie was founded in Paris in 1854.
Founding and early history
The catalyst behind the formation of The Photographic Society was Roger Fenton. The Great Exhibition of 1851 had raised public awareness of photography and in December 1852 an exhibition of nearly 800 photographs at The Society of Arts had brought together amateur and professional photographers. The inaugural meeting of The Photographic Society was held on 20 January 1853. Fenton became the Society's first secretary, a position he held for three years and Henry White was an early treasurer between 1866 and 1872.
Modernisation and the 1970s
As Jane Fletcher has argued the changing nature of photography and photographic education in the early 1970s forced The Society to modernise and to become more relevant to British photography. An internal review led to constitutional changes, the introduction of a new distinction called the Licentiate in 1972 and six new specialist groups were established.
Bath project
The rising cost of maintaining The Society's premises in South Audley Street, London, eventually led the society's executive committee to look for alternative premises. The Council approved at a meeting on 1 April 1977 a move to Bath and the establishment of a National Centre of Photography to house the Society's headquarters and collection. An appeal for £300,000 was launched in the summer of 1978 for the funds needed to convert The Octagon and adjacent buildings in Milsom Street, Bath. The inaugural exhibition opened in May 1980 with the building officially opened by Princess Margaret in April 1981.
Premises
Although the Society's inaugural meeting took places at the Society of Arts in London, it was some time before the Society had its own permanent home. It held functions as a number of London addresses, some concurrently for different types of meetings.
Premises used were: Royal Society of Arts, John Adam Street; 20 Bedford Street, 4 Trafalgar Square, 21 Regent Street, 28 George Street (Hanover Square), 1 Coventry Street; Kings College, Strand; 9 Conduit Street, 5A Pall Mall East – used for certain meetings until 1899; 50 Great Russell Street; and 12 Hanover Square.
The Society's premises were:
1899–1909 – 66 Russell Square, London.
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1909–1940 – 35 Russell Square, London.
1940–1968 – Princes Gate, South Kensington, London.
1968–1970 – 1 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London (temporary premises).
1970–1979 – 14 South Audley Street, Mayfair, London
1980–2003 – The Octagon, Milsom Street, Bath.
2004–2019 – Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath; officially opened 16 February 2005.
2019–2025 - RPS House, Paintworks, Bath Road, Bristol.
July 2025 - HERE, 470 Bath Road, Bristol, BS4 3AP
In May 2024 the RPS announced it would sell Paintworks to invest the funds in modernisation and to hold more activities at locations across the UK, closer to its membership.
From Wikipedia’s article on Royal Photographic Society, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5