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Record Details

Photograph (Experimental Photogenic Drawing), by Sir John Herschel, February 26, 1839

Inventory Number: 16969
Object Type:
Persons: Sir John Frederick William Herschel (Photographer)
Date Created: 1839
Accession Number: 1928-71
Brief Description: Experimental photogenic drawing by Sir John Herschel, February 26, 1839, made as a hypo fixing experiment during the earliest phase of his photographic researches. Except for some light blotches the strong brown image with clean highlights and excellent detail resembles the perfected hypo fixing of June to August 1839, of which (if the date is correct) it is an unusually early forerunner.

Subject: engraving, landscape with river and barge and bridge
Technique: contact copy
Format: horizontal
Polarity: negative
Orientation: laterally reversed
Quality: clean highlights, excellent detail
Colour: strong brown, slightly darker border, light blotches
Chemistry: silver based, hypo fixed
Coating: none
Inscription: date, chemical note
Paper: thin
Condition: good
Purpose: a hypo fixing experiment, unusually good for the date.

For fuller descriptive and historical commentary see narratives.
Primary Inscriptions: 'Feb 26./39 HS.O' [hyposulphite of soda (presumably an error for So); in Herschel's hand].
Provenance: Presented by Miss Herschel and Lady Lubbock in 1928. They were the two surviving and youngest children of Sir John Herschel (Francisca and Constance).
Collection Group: Herschel's Photographic Experiments
Material(s): Paper
Dimensions:
Height Width Depth Diameter Unit
92 128 mm

Narratives

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