"This much-needed volume is a triumph in more ways than one. Rather than merely revisiting well known origin stories and protagonists, the volume takes a critical approach to the theme itself by asking why origins matter to us. It also makes a larger point; by addressing photography's origins beyond the Western canon it finally brings places and people into the centre of research that have hitherto been neglected." Mirjam Brusius, Mellon Post-doctoral Fellow in the History of Photography, University of Oxford "This collection of essays significantly advances our understanding of the prehistory and origins of photography. Expanding the intellectual and geographic boundaries has allowed new narratives to emerge and challenge the traditional chronicles that have previously dominated the field. An important contribution and persuasive testimony to the emerging interdisciplinary nature of photographic history. " Roger Taylor, Emeritus Professor of Photographic History, De Montfort University, Leicester