Imaging the Universe

Charlotte Bigg is Director of Research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Alexandre-Koyré, Paris. She has published widely on the visual and material cultures of science from the late eighteenth century to now.

"Since its earliest use two centuries ago, photography has had the most intimate relation with astronomy. Photos of the Moon or Mars, of remote nebulae or nearby stars, have long provided astronomers with their best means for careful observation and winning wide public fascination. This remarkably intelligent and beautifully illustrated book charts key moments in that relation, the ingenious manipulations and demanding labour that drove astronomical photography. Charlotte Bigg’s compelling work demonstrates with wit and acuity how skilled judgment and cunning instruments played key roles in these vital histories of arts and sciences." - Simon Schaffer, Darwin College, Cambridge