Photograph 51

Anna Ziegler’s Photograph 51 takes us back to 1950s London, where the discovery of the DNA double helix structure would unlock the ‘secret of life’, and Rosalind Franklin’s contribution would be overlooked for decades. This delicate play puts her back in the picture and shines a light on the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field and the price she paid. Beyond the story, however, Photograph 51 reminds us of the shared intentions of art and science. Both seek to improve our understanding of the world around us, to make sense of life, test ideas and see things from another perspective. The results of these discoveries have the possibility to permanently alter our understanding of the world while continuing to feed our curiosity and pursuit of knowledge.