67. Negative portrait of a boy, 1850s


The 'milkiness' of the image indicates that it was made by means of the wet-collodion method described by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. It had many advantages over the daguerreotype and Talbot's calotype, but it required a comprehensive travelling chemistry kit for outdoor use (Items 7 and 8).

Wet-collodion glass negative (80 x 105 mm).