Publisher's Synopsis
Although the art of photography originated in the nineteenth century, it could and should have begun much earlier. While the ancient Greeks, Arabs and Chinese knew about the pinhole image or 'camera obscura', they lacked a chemical means of permanently capturing and 'fixing' these elusive light images. In A Curious Development, such a medium is provided in the form of a photosensitive fungus accidentally discovered by prehistoric cave dwellers. Each story in A Curious Development explores the hypothetical impact of ancient photography on an alternative historical timeline. Famous personages such as Cleopatra, Jesus, Joan of Arc, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Vincent van Gogh, Charles Babbage, Hitler, Franco and Alan Turing appear in dramatically altered situations and circumstances, with typically startling results. In short, A Curious Development explores the far-reaching impact of art and visual culture on civilisation.
