Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer

As part of the RPS Historical Group's series of talks looking at historical collections of photography, photographic archives, and those working historical and alternative processes this talk looks at the work of Alfred Buckham FRPS with Louise Pearson, curator of the recent exhibition at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Alfred Buckham (1879–1956) was a maverick of early aviation. He first took to the skies as an aerial reconnaissance photographer during the First World War, documenting Britain from above. His approach to flying was characterised by a rather relaxed attitude to safety, never letting fear or imminent danger curtail his adventures in the air. In the darkroom, Buckham created his own unique style of photography. He combined multiple negatives – of land, sky and aircraft – to make enthralling images that convey the exhilarating experience of flight, but with a little added drama. In this talk Louise Pearson will tell the phenomenal story of his aerial photography which begins in Scotland and culminates with an epic expedition in the Americas, via numerous loop the loops. Louise Pearson is Curator of Photography at the National Galleries of Scotland. Her publication Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer was published in 2025 to accompany a major exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland: Portrait. A touring version of the exhibition runs at Duff House in Aberdeenshire from 28 May – 30 September 2026.