Celebrating Sir John Herschel’s pioneering contribution to the birth of photography.
Photology: John Herschel, Henry Talbot and Early Photography celebrates Sir John Herschel’s pioneering contribution to the birth of photography. Discover how his scientific curiosity helped shape early photographic processes, including the cyanotype, and influenced generations of photographers and scientists.
Throughout the museum’s historic house, visitors can also experience The as-yet unseen, site-responsive installations by contemporary Irish artist Grace Weir, curated by Bridget de León. Created in response to the Herschel family’s home, the exhibition considers observation as a form of continuous and highly attuned looking, grounded in the rhythms of domestic life, featuring new works including an embroidered piece inspired by William Herschel’s map of the Milky Way and a live display showing the current distance to Uranus from the museum.
Together, the exhibitions reveal how observation, light and experimentation have linked science and art for more than two centuries, inviting visitors to see the Herschel family’s remarkable legacy in a new way.
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Visitor information
Address
19 New King Street, Bath, Somerset, BA1 2BL
01225 446 865
Opening times
Open Saturday 31 January 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 (Tuesday to Sunday)
10am to 5pm, last entry 4pm.
We offer a 50% discount to Art Fund Members. Use the code ARTFUND26 upon check out. You must bring your valid Art Fund (National Art Pass) card with you when you visit to validate your museum ticket.
