At a Glance

  • Various locations in London
  • Tuesdays 14:00 - 15:30
  • 5 weeks | October - December (every 2 weeks)
  • Starts 8 October 2024
  • Fees from £90
  • Tutor: Dr James Hyman
  • Held in partnership with the Centre for British Photography
This course is now full

This course is now full. For the course starting in January click here

There are many reasons people choose to collect works of art - maybe for the pleasure of possessing beautiful and interesting things, or the desire to hold onto a piece of history, or even for the simple joy of collecting.

Others might collect in the hope that values will rise, and other still might just want something attractive to hang on their living-room wall.

In this short course, leading art historian and gallery owner James Hyman will introduce us to collecting photography.

Collecting photographic images is an accessible way to build up an art collection, and photography is an art form that many of us will relate to in a very immediate an instinctive way.

With his many years of experience, both as a collector and a seller of photographic and other forms of art, James will guide us in exploring the various different aspects of collecting photographic images, from judging the quality of photographs to finding out where to buy them.

As well as drawing on the experience of building up his own collection, on the course we will visit many of the key players in the art-photography market in London, gaining access through James's contacts, built up over many years buying and selling photographic prints. We will also visit museums, other private collectors, a specialist photography dealer and an auction house specialising in photography.

The course is suitable for new collectors, and experienced collectors and those interested in collecting more generally, perhaps with a view to entering the gallery or museum profession.

No previous experience is necessary and all are welcome.

Possible Course Combination

This course can be studied on its own, or it can be combined with the classes Study Skills in Art History, which is taught on Wednesdays, which will help you to develop the critical and analytical skills used by professional art historians and curators, or From Art Studio to Art Market, again taught on Wednesdays, looking at the wider art world and the way it operates.

Class Recordings

These classes are not recorded

 

Attendance Certificate

 

Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate

 

Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment

Course Information

Course Programme

Course Programme (subject to possible change)

Classes are held on Tuesdays 2pm – 3.30pm, every two weeks on the dates below. Sessions will be held at different venues each week, each relevant to the topic of the session.

  • Tuesday 8 October 2024 - An Introduction to collecting photographs (or where to begin)
  • Tuesday 22 October 2024 -  Museum Collecting
  • Tuesday 5 November 2024 - Private Collecting
  • Tuesday 19 November 2024 - Auction Houses
  • Tuesday 3 December 2024 - Photography Dealers
Your Tutor

Dr. James Hyman is the Founding Director of the Centre for British Photography (registered charity number 1190955): www.britishphotography.org.

He received his PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art (University of London) and is an authority on twentieth century British painting and photography.

With his wife, Claire, he is a leading photography collector. Details of their photography collection can be found at www.hymancollection.org

Course Fees and Rate Categories
Sessions Standard Rate Internal Rate Associate Rate
 5 £144
£90 £115
The fee rates quoted are for the whole 1-term course. No early bird rates available for this short course. Part-payments are not possible

 

Rate Categories and Discounts


Standard Rate

  • Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.

Internal Rate

  • Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
  • People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
  • Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
  • Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
  • Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School

Associate Rate

  • Austrian Cultural Forum staff
  • Co-operative College members
  • Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
  • Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
  • Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
  • Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
  • Friends of the Royal College of Music
  • Harrods staff
  • Historic Royal Palaces staff
  • Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
  • Members of the Friends of Imperial College
  • Members of the Kennel Club
  • Members of the London Zoological Society
  • Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
  • Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
  • National Health Service (NHS) employees
  • Natural History Museum staff
  • Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
  • Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
  • Royal Geographical Society staff
  • Science Museum staff
  • Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
  • Students (non-Imperial College)
  • Teachers and other staff of UK schools
  • The American Institute for Foreign Study
  • Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
  • Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
  • Victoria and Albert Museum staff

Late enrolment

It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.

Friends and Family Scheme

This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.

Term Dates 2024-25
Sessions Autumn term Spring term Summer term
 5 Every other Tuesday starting 8 October and ending Tuesday 3 December 2024* n/a n/a
*This is a 1-term course
Enrolment Process

Enrolment via the blue booking link is open

Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:

  • Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
  • If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.

When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:

What is sent When is it sent What does it contain
1. Payment confirmation Is sent straight away following submission of your online application
  • This is a receipt for your payment and includes payment date, order number and course title
  • Confirmation of your place on your chosen course will follow later as long as the course recruits enough students to run. If not you will receive a refund of your payment.
2. Enrolment confirmation Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received
  • Confirms your course choice
  • Shows your course's term dates
  • Confirms the day and time of your course
3. Programme information Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts
  • Contains joining instructions for your course, either online or in the classroom, depending on the course
 
  • If you need further help with the above information please ring 020 7594 8756 / +44 20 7594 8756.
  • All enrolments are provisional until the course is confirmed to run. This will be dependent on the course reaching the minimum number of enrolments.
  • All enrolments are subject to our Terms and Conditions. It is not possible to join one of our courses without agreeing to be bound by our Terms and Conditions.
Any Questions?

If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Adult Education Programme Manager, Dr Michael Paraskos, m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk 

If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Adult Education Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk

Contact us

Imperial after:hours Adult Education
Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication
Level 3 - Sherfield Building
Imperial College London
London SW7 2AZ
eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk
Tel. +44 20 7594 8756