University College, Oxford 1843

William Henry Fox Talbot was born in Melbury Dorset, England in 1800.
He resided at Lacock Abbey. He died in 1877.

Known for:

Often call the "inventor of photography", Talbot is known for salted paper prints and Calotypes of architecture, artifacts, men and women, his home at Lacock Abbey, and botanical specimens.

Most Popular Images:
"University College, Oxford"

Did you know ... ?
• In additionto his achievements in photography, Talbot also made advances in the fields of botany, chemistry, optics, and cuneiform inscription.
• Talbot wrote The Pencil of Nature, the first photgraphically illustrated book, published in six parts between 1844 and 1846.
• He had virtually stopped experimenting processes when, in 1839, Daguerre announced his own discoveries. Talbot's renewed work paid off- in 1839, he announced the Calotype process.

Quote:
"The most transitory of things, a shadow, the proverbial emblem of all that is fleeting and momentary, may be fettered by the spells of our "natural magic" and may be fixed forever in the position which it seemed only destined for a single instant to occupy."

General Format:
Talbot's Calotypes and salted paper prints vary in size, but they are generally small (approximately 8" x 10" and smaller).

How many photographs exist?
He printed in extremely small, unnumbered editions.

Prices:
$25,000 - $75,000

How are the photographs printed and signed?
His photographs are unsigned.

Vintage:
The photographs are vintage, meaning that the print date is at or near the same time as the negative date.

Technical Information:
Talbot first experimented with contact prints of objects, images made using a modified camera obscura, and the solar microscope. He then discovered the development of the latent negative photographic image and the Calotype process. Also, he later found that bichromated gelatin is an appropriate surface for copying photographs. This discovery eventually led to several more advanced processes, including the photogravure.

Portfolios:
None.

Books - In Print:
Specimens and Marvels: The World of William Henry Fox Talbot - hardback, $50.00

Availability:
Select images by William Henry Fox Talbot are available at A Gallery.

Price History:
1975: $1,000.
1985: $10,000.
1995: $20,000.

Reverend Calvert Jones in the Cloisters (Sacristy), Lacock Alley

Authenticity is guaranteed. Prices and availability are subject to change without prior notice.

Email us for ordering information

Back to photographers index