Margaret Harker

Margaret Florence Harker (17 January 1920 – 16 February 2013), was a British photographer and historian of photography. She was the UK's first woman professor of photography, founded the country's first photography degree course, and was the first woman to be president of the Royal Photographic Society.

Early life Margaret Florence Harker was born on 17 January 1920 at 18 Queens Road, Southport, Lancashire, the daughter of Thomas Henry Harker (1879–1947), a medical practitioner, and his wife, Ethel Dean Harker, née Dyson (1894–1975). She was educated at Howell's School in Denbigh, followed by the Southport School of Art.

Career Harker started her career an architectural photographer, contributing to the National Buildings Record beginning from its 1941 establishment, and in excess of 1,000 of her negatives are held by its successor body at Historic England. Harker also became the honorary curator of the society's collection of historic photographs. In 1992, when it became the University of Westminster, she was appointed as one of its inaugural first six professors. Photographs attributed to Margaret Harker are held in the Conway Library of art and architecture at The Courtauld.

Personal life On 20 December 1972, Harker married fellow photographer Richard Farrand (1916–1982).

Death Harker died on 16 February 2013, of heart failure, after having suffered from dementia, at The Anchorage Care Home in Pulborough, and was buried in the churchyard of St Bartholomew's Church, Egdean.