LEICESTER, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--De Montfort University (DMU) is addressing the dearth of experts who can preserve the world’s imperilled photographic heritage with a new Masters degree long-awaited by experts in the field.

Next month DMU, in Leicester, UK, welcomes the first students on a unique MA in Photographic History and Practice, and which is already being hailed by leading lights in the sector.

The pioneering course will educate future curators, historians and archivists of photography, as well as those working with historic photographs at auction houses and libraries, and is already attracting students from all over the UK and Europe but is expected to also draw in those who work (or want to) with photographic collections elsewhere around the world.

DMU is collaborating with the Wilson Centre for Photography Studies in London, and also working with the collections of the National Media Museum, the Central Library, Birmingham, the British Library and private collections throughout Britain, and support for the specialised course is worldwide.

Renowned photography dealer Hans P. Kraus Jr., based in New York, was delighted to hear of DMU’s pioneering initiative, and said: “Having been active in this field for more than 25 years, I am increasingly witnessing a shortage of qualified scholars capable of making practical judgments and assessments, and perhaps too many with an entirely theoretical bent. I shall envy the students who qualify for DMU’s Masters programme.”

As former Senior Curator at The National Media Museum, Bradford, Roger Taylor – now Professor of Photographic History at DMU – said: : “There is a crisis and our photographic heritage is in jeopardy because there are so few qualified curators, archivists, conservators in photography.”

Michael Pritchard, former Director of the Photography Department at auction house Christies of London, now studying a Phd at DMU, said: “DMU’s course fulfils a long-felt need and will provide students with a sound theoretical basis and practical experience in many aspects of photographic history and research methods. The course’s focus on handling and investigating rare and historic photographs and photographic equipment, based on access to some of the world’s best collections, is unique. I wish it had been available when I first started.”

For further details on the course see:

http://www.dmu.ac.uk/faculties/art_and_design/pg_courses/photographic-history-practice.jsp