HIGHLIGHTS of the renowned 200-year-old archive of the Royal Photographic Society will be displayed at the National Media Museum from next month.

The city centre venue looks after the world famous collection of 250,000 images, 31,000 books and periodicals and 8,000 items of photographic equipment.

Selected pieces will be shared with the public from March until June, as part of the Drawn by Light show.

Curator of Photography and Photographic Technology at the NMM Colin Harding said: "Preparing this exhibition has been a huge pleasure and privilege.

"It has meant spending even more time with one of the world’s greatest collections of photography and rediscovering the incredibly rich and varied nature of the items within. Researchers and visitors travel to Bradford from around the globe to enjoy and study the material in this archive."

Michael Pritchard, director-general of The Royal Photographic Society added: "The RPS is excited that Drawn by Light will be showing at the National Media Museum, following the exhibition's tremendous reception in London.

"This is a great opportunity for visitors to see some of the world’s most important photography by some of the greatest photographers, in the collection's home, as well as to explore the rest of the wonderful museum."

Other features will include a photographers’ question time, based on the format of the popular BBC Radio 4 programme Gardeners’ Question Time. A panel with wide-ranging experience in different elements of photography will also be discussing and answering questions.

Other activities include free portrait-making by Richard Stanley, a guided tour of the exhibition, looking at some of the most treasured objects from the RPS Collection; and a screening of the film How to Make a Book with Steidl, which provides an insight into the art of photography book production.

As part of the exhibition, local photographers of all abilities and experience are invited to enter two photographs each that interpret the theme of ‘light’ in unique ways. The competition in effect launches the three-month Drawn by Light exhibition.

There are two categories for competition prizes, one for over-18s, the other for under-18s. The prizes are a framed limited edition print by acclaimed photographer Tony Ray-Jones and a £50 voucher for photographic equipment and membership to the Royal Photographic Society for one year.

Entrants are asked to take their photographs to the NMM along with a completed entry form - available from nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/drawncomp - on Saturday, March 21, between 9am and noon.

They will be judged by a panel of experts and displayed in the NMM for one week.

Drawn by Light at the NMM runs from March 20 to June 21.