14th February to 21st June 2026.

Edinburgh.

David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson’s photographs of Newhaven, a small fishing port just north of Edinburgh, are regarded as one of the earliest and most influential examples of documentary photography.

Over a three-year period, Hill and Adamson made over 120 calotype negatives in Newhaven. The community of fishermen and their families was well known in Scotland and beyond for their reputation for bravery and their distinctive clothing. Hill and Adamson’s photographs explore the social structure and working lives of this proud and resilient community.

The exhibition contains a number of excellent portraits of the fisherfolk and their baskets. The fisherwomen were responsible for selling the fish caught that day. They carried the fish into Edinburgh in baskets on their backs.

For more information, visit the National Galleries of Scotland website.