ABSTRACT
Photography was one of the more prominent new technologies promoted by the association for the purpose of advancing the study and appreciation of natural history. Photography and its allied technologies, such as the stereoscope, allowed specialists and the general public alike to experience natural history in unprecedented ways. To gain recognition in the more prestigious aspects of Victorian science, colonial naturalists needed to retain control over discoveries made on behalf of their own museums, especially their most spectacular finds. The presence of naturalists from various backgrounds in this global network presented a complex cultural terrain or, at the very least, introduced another set of interests and loyalties that existed in parallel with those of the British Empire. The various activities featured in the British Association's week-long annual meetings were typical of the array of sights and cultural experiences available to the Victorians.
