The library was to hold material relating to women's work, too. This year's centenary is an opportunity to celebrate the institution's unique holdings.
Along with fascinating examples of early efforts to capture images of society, the book captures well the dual role of the scientific image - as both a tool for discovery and a medium of communication. A reader begins to understand that photography in general, and especially in science, is not just illustrative, it is investigative. And sometimes, as Burgess clearly describes, it is revelatory.