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Record Details

Photograph (Experimental Photogenic Drawing), by Sir John Herschel, June 22, 1839

Inventory Number: 22646
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, June 22, 1839, made as a fixing experiment, part of a series trying different procedures with water or hypo and water. This led to the perfection of hypo fixing of silver-based images, as represented by this very clean sepia image with excellent contrast and detail. Presumably the inscription means it was fixed twice with hypo.

Subject: engraving 16938, landscape with shrine and ruins
Technique: contact copy
Format: horizontal
Polarity: negative
Orientation: laterally reversed
Quality: very clean image
Colour: sepia, dark brown border
Chemistry: silver based, hypo fixed
Coating: none
Inscription: number, date, chemical note
Paper: thin
Condition: good
Purpose: a fixing experiment using hypo and water.

For fuller descriptive and historical commentary see narratives.
Primary Inscriptions: '504' and '504. June 22/39 1st Pp Water then H.S. Soda | July 16 Very completely fixed HS. S.' [pump, hyposulphite of soda; 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
100 124 mm

Narratives

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