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Record Details

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

Inventory Number: 32872
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 using a variant of hypo. Like its companion (32872) it has then been varnished to improve its translucency and perhaps used in positive printing experiments (positives of this image include 18784 and 83414). Compare the unvarnished negative 18871.

Subject: engraving 61514, lady with head-dress
Technique: contact copy
Format: vertical
Polarity: negative
Orientation: laterally reversed
Quality: good
Colour: brown and yellow-amber, dark brown border
Chemistry: silver based, fixed with ammonium thiosulphate
Coating: varnished
Inscription: number, date, chemical note
Paper: thin
Condition: extremely fragile due to the embrittling effect of the varnish, large tear, nick in edge
Purpose: a fixing experiment using water and a variant of hypo, varnished as an experiment in improving translucency and/or for use in positive printing experiments.

For fuller descriptive and historical commentary see narratives.
Primary Inscriptions: '[?]504 June 22 --[long dash] F. pump W then | Hyposul Ammon [...?]' [fixed, water, hyposulphite of ammonia; 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
122 98 mm

Narratives

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