THE role of gold in the development of photography is the theme of a forthcoming exhibition at a Wiltshire museum.

Lacock's Fox Talbot Museum named after the Victorian pioneer of photography - is to set aside its Upper Gallery for two months from April 5 to show work inspired by that of Fox Talbot's contemporary, Sir John Herschel. Silver salts came to be the standard substance used in photographic processing, but Herschel favoured the use of gold, which has chemical similarities.

However, gold was never used commercially because it was more costly and less practical.

Now a modern practitioner, Dr Mike Ware, has produced a series of images based on the gold process.

Dr Ware has used the process to produce what museum bosses describe as a remarkable collection of images of remote landscapes. The colour and tone of the images is unique to the gold process.

Further information is available from the museum on (01249) 730141.