History of Science Museum: Collection Database Search

Record Details

Photograph (Experimental Photogenic Drawing, Phytotype), by Sir John Herschel, c.1841

Inventory Number: 32597
Object Type:
Persons: Sir John Frederick William Herschel (Photographer)
Date Created:
Accession Number: 1928-71
Brief Description: Experimental photogenic drawing (phytotype) by Sir John Herschel, undated, c.1841, made during his exploration of alternative sensitising agents to silver salts, the most unusual of which were juices extracted from flower petals, producing these 'vegetable photographs'.

Subject: engraving ?61514, ?lady with head-dress
Technique: direct-positive contact copy
Format: vertical
Polarity: positive
Orientation: laterally reversed
Quality: very faint
Colour: mustard yellow with hint of pinkish
Chemistry: phytotype
Coating: none
Inscription: none
Paper: xxx
Condition: good
Purpose: an experiment with the photographic possibilities of light-sensitive dyes extracted from flower petals.

For fuller descriptive and historical commentary see narratives.
Primary Inscriptions:
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
119 89 mm

Narratives

Permalink: http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/object/inv/32597