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Visitor Information: The RPS Gallery and coffee shop will be closed on Saturday 7 December

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Progress Medal

Instituted in 1878, the Progress Medal is awarded in recognition of any invention, research, publication or other contribution which has resulted in an important advance in the scientific or technological development of photography or imaging in the widest sense.  This award also carries with it an Honorary Fellowship of The Society.

2023      Emeritus Professor Christopher Dainty

2022       Given jointly to Graham Hudson and Leonardo Chiariglione

2021       Dr Katie Bouman

2020       Charles (Chuck) Hull

2019       Professor Al Bovik

2018       Professor Jacques Dubochet, Professor Joachim Frank and Dr Richard Henderson

2017       Dr Michael Francis Tompsett

2016       Palmer Luckey

2015       Dr George Elwood Smith

2014       Tim Webber

2013       Professor Paul B Corkum

2012       Steven J Sasson

2011       Dr Rodney Shaw

2010       Nobukazu Teranishi

2009       Bryce E Bayer

2008       Sir David Attenborough

2007       Dr Larry J Hornbeck PhD

2006       Professor Ferenc Krausz

2005       Dr Carver Mead, Richard F Lyon, Richard B Merrill

2004       Dr Eric R Fossum

2003       Sir Tim Berners-Lee

2002       Dr Brad Amos and Professor John White

2001       Professor C T Elliott

2000       Professor A Zaleski

1999       Leo J Thomas

1998       Emmett N Leith

1996       Dr Paul B Gilman

1995       Thomas and John Knoll

1994       Professor J W Mitchell

1993       Lennart Nilsson

1992       Dr G Farnell

1991       J Szarkowski

1990       Dr Tadaaki Tani

1989       Eric Hosking OBE

1988       David Hockney

1987       Dr Roy Jeffreys

1986       Professor Yuri Denisyuk

1985       Lord Snowdon

1984       Sir Tom Hopkinson

1983       Dr R W G Hunt

1982       Sue Davies

1981       Norman Parkinson

1980       Oxford Scientific Films

1979       Bill Brandt

1978       Photographic Technology Division Nasa

1977       Stephen Dalton

1976       W T Hanson Jr

1975       Beaumont Newhall

1974       Man Ray

1973       Dr T Howard James

1972       Professor Dr Hellmut Frieser

1971       Edward William Herbert Selwyn

1970       Professor W F Berg

1969       Laurence E Hallett OBE

1968       Professor Konstantine Vladimirovich Chibosov

1967       Dr E R Davies OBE

1966       L Fritz Gruber

1965       Dr Walter Clark

1964       Harold E Edgerton

1963       Leopold Godowsky and Leopold Mannes

1962       Dr Frances M Hamer

1961       André Rott

1960       Edward J Steichen

1959       Cecil Waller

1957       Dr Edwin H Land

1956       Not given

1955       Dr J D Kendall

1954       Dr Julian Webb

1953       Marcel Abribat

1952       Charles Edward Kenneth Mees

1951       J Dudley Johnston

1950       Louis Phillippe Clerc

1949       Professor Dr John Eggert

1948       Dr Lloyd Ancile Jones

1947       Not given

1946       John G Capstaff

1944       Francis James Mortimer CBE

1936       Arthur Samuel Newman

1935       Harold Dennis Taylor

1932       Dr Löppo-Cramer

1929       Olaf F Bloch

1928       Samuel E Sheppard

1927       George Eastman

1926       Not given

1925       Not given

1924       Alfred Stieglitz

1923       Nahum Ellan Luboshez

1922       Not given

1921       Frank Forster Renwick

1920       Not given

1919       Not given

1918       Not given

1917       Not given

1916       Not given

1915       André Callier

1914       William Bates Ferguson

1913       Charles Edward Kenneth Mees

1912       Henry Chapman Jones

1911       Not given

1910       Alfred Watkins

1909       A Lumiere et ses fils

1908       John Sterry

1907       E Sanger Shepherd

1906       Dr P J C Janssen

1905       Dr. Paul Rudolph

1904       Not given

1903       Frederick Eugene Ives

1902       Sir Joseph Wilson Swan

1901       Dr R L Maddox

1900       Louis Ducos du Hauron

1899       Not given

1898       Ferdinand Hurter and Vero C Driffield

1897       Professor Gabriel Lippmann

1896       Thomas R Dallmeyer

1895       Dr Peter Henry Emerson

1891       Colonel J Waterhouse

1890       Captain W de W Abney

1885       Professor Josef Maria Eder

1884       Dr J M Eder

1883       Walter B Woodbury

1882       Leon Warnerke

1881       W Willis

1878       Captain W de W Abney