Science In the Darkroom Photography Exhibition

Science in the Darkroom is extended to 17 February 2019 due to popular demand.

A chance discovery has brought the delicate lost art of glass plate photography back to life at an exhibition of forgotten images and negatives in Auckland.

The show Science in the Darkroom will run at the historic Alberton house at 100 Mt Albert Rd, from 16 January to 17 February 2019.

The exhibition of 15 highly intricate and beautifully composed photographs will delight photographic enthusiasts as well as those with an interest in the long history of plant research in Mt Albert.

Glass plate photography had once been a go-to technology worldwide from the late-1800s to the mid-1950s before Kodak film and new, smaller cameras transformed photography and made it accessible to everyone.

The dry-plate process, also known as the gelatin process, was used to document science subjects by photographers internationally and in New Zealand because of its superior chemical stability and quality compared to film. Glass plates were still being used in high-quality photography as late as the 1980s.

Like all technology, glass plate had its upsides and downsides. Photographers had to master the cumbersome, time-consuming and fickle process, but when everything came together the results were astounding.

Key information:
- Science in the Darkroom is shown at Alberton from 16 January to 17 February 2019 (closed on Monday and Tuesday), 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
- It is open on Waitangi Day.
- The exhibition is in the Alberton Ballroom at 100 Mt Albert Road, Mt Albert Auckland 1025
- Entry to exhibition is free. A $10 fee applies to view the entire Alberton house.