3rd RPS Historical Group and University of Wolverhampton Research Symposium 06 March 2027. Wolverhampton School of Art, University of Wolverhampton & Online via Zoom. The Royal Photographic Society Historical Group and the Wolverhampton School of Art invite proposals for papers for the 2027 Research Symposium. Now in its third year, the symposium continues to develop a distinctive forum for examining the dynamic relationship between photographic history and contemporary visual culture. While grounded in historical research, the event seeks to demonstrate how photography's past remains vital for understanding the pressing questions of the present, from artificial intelligence and machine vision to archives, environmental futures, digital media, and new forms of image circulation. Building on conversations established in previous years, the symposium aims to foster productive dialogue between historical inquiry and contemporary practice, establishing this intersection as a defining characteristic of the event. Photography has always existed at the intersection of technological innovation, social change, scientific discovery, artistic experimentation, and cultural memory. As emerging technologies continue to transform how images are produced, circulated, interpreted, and preserved, historical perspectives become increasingly important for understanding both continuities and disruptions within photographic culture.
