Ferdinand Hurter B 15th March 1844 d 5th March 1898 Dr Ferdinand Hurter (1844-1898) was born in Switzerland and was a founding Member of SCI. He established The Central Laboratory, built in 1881 by the United Alkali Company. Here, in addition to many important industrial processes being developed, the scientific foundations of photography were laid. Ferdinand Hurter, together with Vero Charles Driffield, spent almost 20 years conducting experiments into photography. The results of their research revolutionised photography, and led to plates and film being issued with &D?numbers denoting correct exposure and speed respectively.