Royal Anthropological Institute

The RAI photographic library is unique. Consisting of over 75,000 historic prints, negatives, lantern-slides, drawings, paintings and other images, the earliest of which date from the 1860s, it provides a scholarly service to a large number of academic researchers, students and responsible commercial users. It contributes strongly to public awareness of the RAI, and provides a practical interface between the Institute and a wide range of audiences and disciplines. The anthropology of visual culture is becoming increasingly central to the discipline as a whole, and interest has correspondingly grown. The material contained in the photographic library is highly relevant to contemporary, as well as historical, concerns. From time to time, the photographic library provides a focus for exhibitions, events and publications of interest to visual anthropologists and historians of anthropology. Enquiries should be addressed to the Photo Curator.

The RAI's Photo Library invites fellows, former RAI award holders, members and student associates to submit photographs from fieldwork or other research suitable for inclusion in the RAI Annual Report. Up to five photographs may be submitted, and the deadline is 1st March of each year .