Progress Medal (RPS)

The Royal Photographic Society

Motto	Universa Vita Percepta (All life perceived)
Formation	20 January 1853
Headquarters	Bath, United Kingdom
Membership	11,700
Chief Executive	Dr Michael Pritchard
Website	www.rps.org

The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is one of the world's oldest photographic societies. It was founded in London, England in 1853 as The Photographic Society of London with the objective of promoting the art and science of photography, and in 1854 received Royal patronage from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. A change to the society's name to reflect the Royal patronage was, however, not considered expedient at the time. In 1874 it was renamed the Photographic Society of Great Britain, and from 1894 it became known as The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. A registered charity since 1962, in July 2004, The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain was granted a Royal charter recognising its eminence in the field of photography as a learned society. For most of its history the Society was based at various premises in London. It moved to Bath in 1979, and since 2004 its headquarters has been at Fenton House in Bath, England. Membership is international and open to anyone with an interest in photography.

In addition to standard membership, the Society also offers three levels of distinctions which set recognised standards of achievement throughout the world, and can be applied for by both members and non-members: Licentiate, Associate and Fellow, in all aspects of photography and vocational qualifications in the areas of Creative Industries and Imaging Science. It runs an extensive programme of more than 300 events throughout the United Kingdom and abroad, through local groups and special interest groups. The Society acts as a national voice for photographers and for photography more generally and it represents these interests on a range of governmental and national bodies dealing with areas as diverse as copyright and photographers' rights. The Society's collection of historic photographs, photographic equipment and books was deposited for the nation at the National Media Museum in Bradford in 2003, but most of the collection is moving to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.