The Alcobendas Art Centre in Madrid has recently inaugurated the exhibition “125 years of photography (1899-2024). Collection of the Royal Photographic Society”, an unprecedented exhibition that celebrates more than a century of history of photography in Spain. The exhibition, open to the public on September 19, 2024, and which can be visited until December 1, brings together a selection of iconic photographs from among the more than 12 thousand images that are part of the historical archive of the Royal Photographic Society (RSF).

Curated by Oliva María Rubio, with the collaboration of Enrique Sanz Ramírez and Angélica Suela de la Llave, the exhibition introduces a panoramic look at the evolution of photography in the country, from the first images made at the end of the nineteenth century to the most avant-garde proposals of the twenty-first century. Through 158 photographs, various themes, stories, memories, styles, techniques and historical moments that have marked the trajectory of the Royal Photographic Society are explored, putting on stage a rich diversity of portraits, landscapes and visual experiments. “The Photographic Society of Madrid, the first of the Spanish photography associations, was founded in February 1899, within the framework of the Photography Section of the Círculo de Bellas Artes. The initiative came from the hand of Manuel Suárez Espada, an enterprising man and member of the group of photography lovers who met in Carlos Salvi’s photographic shop. (…) In 2024, it will be one hundred and twenty-five years since the beginning of that adventure”. (1)

The exhibition not only celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Royal Photographic Society, but also pays tribute to the great names who have passed through the history of this institution. Since its inception, RSF has been a meeting point for photography lovers, organizing competitions and salons that have nurtured the national art scene. On this occasion, the public can enjoy a visual journey through time, discovering how photography has reflected social, cultural and technological changes over more than a century. A relevant group of photographers coincide in this scenario, highlighting names such as Ramón Masats, Cristina García Rodero, Pilar Pequeño, Gabriel Cuallado, Paco Gómez and Juan Manuel Castro Prieto, Pilar Pequeño, Encarna Marín, Manuel Sonseca, Julio Álvarez Yagüe, José Santos Mingot, and José María Mellado.

Mellado participates in the exhibition with his work Napias, captured in Almería in 1996. His participation in this exhibition is especially relevant, since for five years he presided over the Royal Photographic Society, contributing his creative vision to the development of the entity. In this exhibition he shares the stage with two other photographers from Almeria: Jorge Rueda (who died in 2011), and Rubén García Felices. The exhibition 125 years of photography (1899-2024) is a tribute to the great photographers who have marked the history of photography in Spain, and invites us to reflect on the evolution of technique and art in the digital age. In this sense, figures such as José María Mellado have been pioneers in adapting new technologies to the photographic field, revolutionizing the way we conceive the image today. His work reflects this transition to digital without losing the technical rigor and emotion of traditional photography.

“It should be noted that, during various moments in its history, the Royal Photographic Society counted among its members the most relevant photographers in Madrid. The generosity of many of them allows us to have some of their most emblematic works.” (2) This exhibition is a unique opportunity to see some of Spain’s most influential photographers come together, and highlights the role of the Royal Photographic Society as a key institution in the history of art in our country. José María Mellado, with his innovative approach and his involvement with the Royal Photographic Society, stands out as an essential figure in this celebration.

125 years of photography (1899-2024). Collection of the Royal Photographic Society
Monday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed holidays
Alcobendas Art Centre, Room 2 and 3
C/ Mariano Sebastián Izuel, 9 28100 Alcobendas, Madrid

(1) and (2) Fragment of the text of the exhibition by Oliva María Rubio, curator. Available in 125-years-of-photography.