History of Science Museum: Collection Database Search

Record Details

Photograph (Experimental Photogenic Drawing), by Sir John Herschel, c.1839

Inventory Number: 30426
Object Type:
Persons: Sir John Frederick William Herschel (Photographer)
Date Created:
Accession Number: 1928-71
Brief Description: Experimental photogenic drawing by Sir John Herschel, undated, xxc.1839xx, made xxas a hypo fixing experiment during the earliest phase of his photographic researchesxx.

Subject: engraving, lady with hair in bun
Technique: contact copy
Format: vertical
Polarity: negative
Orientation: laterally reversed
Quality: dark, but excellent detail and contrast, lady's hair brilliantly white
Colour: very strong dark slightly purplish brown, different dark brown border, buff at bottom right corner of image, light yellowish along right edge, silver tarnishing at edges, plain back
Chemistry: ?silver based, hypo fixed
Coating: none
Inscription: number
Paper: xxx
Condition: good
Purpose: probably a hypo fixing experiment???.

For fuller descriptive and historical commentary see narratives.
Primary Inscriptions: '630'.
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
133 100 mm

Narratives

Permalink: http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/object/inv/30426