Photo: Iain Logie Baird (far right), holding the honorary Baird Medal presented to him with Midlands Committee members Terry Stanton, John Ross-Barnard and RTS Midlands Chair Janet Wootton. Photograph by Jeffrey Wootton.

Iain Logie Baird, the grandson of John Logie Baird, the man who demonstrated the world's first television pictures , gave Midlands Centre members and guests an historical insight into the origins of the Television Society and the early days of the television business when he presented the annual Baird Lecture in Birmingham.

Speaking at the University of Birmingham's Business School, Iain, who is Curator of Television at the National Media Museum in Bradford, gave a detailed account of the early days of television's development and his Scottish inventor grandfather's involvement. He spoke of the beginnings of the Television Society and Television magazine.

Later he contrasted today's television environment with the historic context to consider how perceptions of television have changed over the years and the impact of technology and content on viewers. John Logie Baird's demonstration of Noctovision in Leeds in 1927, led to the founding of the Television Society in 1928 and what is now the RTS.

Baird Lecture event organiser and Midlands Committee member Terry Stanton presented Iain with an "honorary" Baird medal to mark the occasion and in recognition of his grandfather's work. The Baird medal is normally awarded annually by the Midlands Centre to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the television industry in the region.

Janet Wootton
RTS Midlands Centre Chair