Bringing the stories of early women photographers in New Zealand out of the dark and into the light is the task Lissa Mitchell has set herself. In the Dark: women and New Zealand photography to 1960 is the name of the book she's working on, with the help of a New Zealand History Research Trust Fund Award from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. There's little written about women who were working in studios here from the 1870s, usually behind the scenes in the early years before some set up their own businesses. Lissa is a curator of Historical Photography at Te Papa and that's where she realised that women's contribution to photography has been overlooked. If you think you have useful information for Lissa Mitchel send it to us and we'll pass it on: standingroomonly@rnz.co.nz