William Henry Fox Talbot

Discovery

of

Photography

1839

In 1839, both William Henry Fox Talbot and Daguerre announced their discoveries of photography.  The processes discovered by Talbot and Daguerre were entirely different.

The Daguerreotype photograph, discovered by Daguerre was a delicate single image produced on metal.

Talbot discovered the negative/positive process.  This enabled multiple photographs to be produced from a single negative.  This became the basis for photography over the next 150 years and beyond.

Brief comments on  Talbot's discoveries are given on this web site in the pages on the Photogenic Drawing and Calotype processes.

Please click here to read the background to Talbot's discoveries, beginning with his use of a camera obscura to help with his sketching.

 Camera Obscura as used by William Henry Fox Talbot for sketching in 1833. ©    Sketch of Lake Como in Italy by Talbot - October 1833 ©

 

 

William Henry Fox Talbot

Discovery of Photography

Life in England

Connections with Edinbrugh

Correspondence

Photos, Sketches and Engravings

Pencil of Nature

 

 

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