This unique collection of 26 authoritative essays by leading historians, scientists, and inventors tracks the evolution of the medium through its landmark inventions and key technological developments over 150 years. Authors from the United States, Asia, and Europe, have devoted their lifelong studies and careers to the areas discussed in the book. Some were themselves the pioneers who gave birth to new aspects of photography, while others contributed innovations that modified and expanded existing practices.

The essays in this book were selected from the proceedings of the three-day First International Congress: Pioneers of Photographic Science Technology, sponsored by IS&T. This Congress was designed to provide a means for looking at the history of photography with a fresh eye and examining important forces that shaped the field and led to its present level of achievement and importance to the world. The papers cover over a century of work in a broad scope of topics, creating an invaluable historical reference.

"For all of us, the future of photography is made all the more exciting by broadening our present understanding of its past."

- Eugene Ostroff, Curator of Photography, Smithsonian Institution

©1986; Society for Imaging Science and Technology