معرفی
Professor Kelley Wilder is a leading scholar in photographic history at De Montfort University, affiliated with the School of Arts, Design and Architecture within the Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities. She is a core member of the Photographic History Research Centre (PHRC), a renowned research hub dedicated to the study of photography’s historical, scientific, and cultural roles.
Her research expertise lies at the intersection of photography, science, and material culture, particularly focusing on 19th and 20th century practices. Key interests include the photographic work of scientists like William Henry Fox Talbot and John Herschel, the materiality of photographic industry, archival practices, and the role of photography in scientific documentation. Her work bridges art, science, and technology, exploring how photographic images function as knowledge objects.
The recent scholarly outputs demonstrate a consistent focus on the epistemic and cultural roles of photography, especially in scientific contexts. Themes include visual evidence, archival practices, the materiality of photographic media, and interdisciplinary knowledge production. Her publications span visual culture, history of science, and cultural theory, reflecting a deeply interdisciplinary approach.
- Mercator Fellow, University of Regensburg, Germany (2020–2023)
- Research Fellow of the Science Museum, London (2019–2024)
- Marie Curie EU Training Grant (2019–2020)
- M3C Creative Economy Engagement Postdoctoral funding (2017–2018)
- British Academy Research Grant (2016–2017)
- HEIF Network fund (2016–2017)
Kelley Wilder actively supervises research students such as Ella Ravilious and Martin Jürgens, often in collaboration with major cultural institutions like the V&A and the Natural History Museum. She has secured substantial external funding from the British Academy, EU programs, and DFG, enabling impactful research on photographic archives, scientific imaging, and industrial reproduction. These grants reflect her leadership in shaping the field through collaborative, interdisciplinary projects.
She is central to the Photographic History Research Centre (PHRC), which fosters international scholarly exchange through conferences, publications, and collaborative research. The PHRC serves as a dynamic hub connecting academics, curators, and archivists, with Wilder playing a key role in organizing events such as the 2025 conference on Photography, Value, and History.
