The Second Morton Photography Symposium

The symposium and exhibition have been inspired by the Trust’s major photographic collections, which feature many women as takers, collectors, preservers or subjects of photography. Prominent examples include the c6,000 images taken by folklorist Margaret Fay Shaw, the family albums compiled by Violet May Brodie (née Hope) and the hundreds of photographs collected and kept by Glaswegian Miss Agnes Toward, all of which frequently depict women. The images of these women breathe life into our places and can help institutions like the Trust improve at putting women of all backgrounds at the centre of the stories we tell about our history.

Our speakers will discuss a range of these stories throughout the day. Speakers from the National Trust for Scotland, National Trust and Victoria and Albert Museum will start by challenging traditional narratives in photography collections at these major national institutions. The second panel will look at how projects and community groups working with photography can reveal women’s stories both past and present. We’ll finish with a look at how Scottish women have been represented with the camera, from the earliest photography to the mid-20th century. Throughout the day, our Shutter Speed talks will cover 100 years of women and photography, including photographer Franki Raffles and representations of women in the George Washington Wilson collection.

The full schedule and details of how to sign up.

We would like to acknowledge the generosity of the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, particularly Jeannie Campbell Redpath Becton.