Collection and Production: The History of the Institute of Archaeology through Photography

As the UCL Institute of Archaeology celebrates its 75th anniversary, it has begun to probe its role in the development of professional archaeology more seriously, a role illustrated (aptly) by the importance of photography and photographs at the Institute. This short article will explore two facets of the Institute’s relationship with photography – the acquisition of photographic collections and the investment made in photographic facilities. Amara Thornton begins with a short personal introduction to a photographic collection within the Institute’s archives, and Sara Perry continues with a history of the early years of the Institute’s photography department, giving special attention to its founder, Maurice ‘Cookie’ Cookson, the Institute’s first Lecturer in Archaeological Photography.