In 1969, Joseph McKenzie launched Caledonian Images, a landmark exhibition that helped establish photography as a recognised art form in Scotland.

The exhibition was the first photographic exhibition to receive funding from the Scottish Arts Council and was recognised by Amateur Photographer magazine in its record of photographic firsts. This pioneering achievement acknowledged the artistic and documentary importance of McKenzie’s work, which captured Scotland’s landscapes, communities and changing way of life with exceptional honesty and technical mastery.

The title of the study was inspired by a brick washed up on a pebble beach engraved with the word CALEDONIA. The exhibition was dry mounted onto chipboard and supported by string hangers and was not glazed. Consequently, it suffered damage which was a further indication of the lack of respect which existed at the time for photography as art.

Today, Caledonian Images remains one of Joseph McKenzie’s defining achievements and a milestone in the history of Scottish photography, reflecting his lifelong belief that photography deserved recognition as a major art form.