William Henry Fox Talbot

(British, 1800–1877)

William Henry Fox Talbot was one of the early inventors of photography. At the same time Louis Daguerre developed daguerreotypes in Paris, Talbot had begun producing calotypes, which employed a solution of sodium to fix photosensitive paper after its exposure to light. “How charming it would be if it were possible to cause these natural images to imprint themselves durably, and remain fixed upon the paper,” he once mused. Born on February 11, 1800 in Dorset, United Kingdom, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge and was a scholar in a number of fields including chemistry, Egyptology, art history, and botany. The notion of a photograph dawned on Talbot in 1833 while he was using a camera lucida as an aid in drawing the Italian countryside near Lake Como. Dissatisfied with his inability capture the beauty of the refracted image he saw, the artist began experimenting with chemical solutions to fix images on paper coated with silver nitrate. In the earliest of these attempts, he successfully captured exact silhouettes of botanical specimens through suspending them in glass above the paper and exposing them to the sun. In the decades that followed, Talbot continued his attempts at creating permanent images up until his death on September 17, 1877 in Lacock, United Kingdom. Though many of his calotypes remain fugitive or have deteriorated in condition, Talbot’s contribution to the future of the medium is a singular accomplishment. Today, the artist’s works are held in the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, among others.

William Henry Fox Talbot News

Auctions

Sotheby's Will Auction a Hoard of the World's Earliest Photographs, Taken by 19th-Century Inventor Henry Fox Talbot—See Images Here

by Sarah Cascone
Sotheby's Will Auction a Hoard of the World's Earliest Photographs, Taken by 19th-Century Inventor Henry Fox Talbot—See Images Here
Art World

The Victoria & Albert Museum Reveals Details of New Photography Center

by Amah-Rose Abrams
The Victoria & Albert Museum Reveals Details of New Photography Center
Art World

Bradford Museum Director Defends Plans to Move Photography Collection to London's V&A

by Lorena Muñoz-Alonso
Bradford Museum Director Defends Plans to Move Photography Collection to London's V&A

William Henry Fox Talbot Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

William Henry Fox Talbot (310 results)
SIR WALTER SCOTT'S MONUMENT, PLATE 2 OF 'SUN , 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

SIR WALTER SCOTT'S MONUMENT, PLATE 2 OF 'SUN , 1845

Sale Date: May 13, 1994

Auction Closed

ABBOTSFORD, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

ABBOTSFORD, 1845

Sale Date: October 20, 1993

Auction Closed

A MOUNTAIN RIVULET WHICH FLOWS AT THE FOOT..., 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

A MOUNTAIN RIVULET WHICH FLOWS AT THE FOOT..., 1845

Sale Date: October 7, 1993

Auction Closed

MELROSE ABBEY, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

MELROSE ABBEY, 1845

Sale Date: October 7, 1993

Auction Closed

THE BRIDGE OVER THE MOLDAU, 1859

William Henry Fox Talbot

THE BRIDGE OVER THE MOLDAU, 1859

Sale Date: May 7, 1993

Auction Closed

DETAIL OF THE LOUVRE & STUDY OF A CHURCH, 1850–1860

William Henry Fox Talbot

DETAIL OF THE LOUVRE & STUDY OF A CHURCH, 1850–1860

Sale Date: May 7, 1993

Auction Closed

VILLAGE STREET SCENE, 1850–1860

William Henry Fox Talbot

VILLAGE STREET SCENE, 1850–1860

Sale Date: May 7, 1993

Auction Closed

REVEREND CALVERT JONES SEATED IN THE..., 1847

William Henry Fox Talbot

REVEREND CALVERT JONES SEATED IN THE..., 1847

Sale Date: May 7, 1993

Auction Closed

RIVER SCENE WITH BRIDGE, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

RIVER SCENE WITH BRIDGE, 1845

Sale Date: May 7, 1993

Auction Closed

BOOKS ON LIBRARY SHELVES, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

BOOKS ON LIBRARY SHELVES, 1845

Sale Date: May 7, 1993

Auction Closed

THE FRUIT SELLERS, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

THE FRUIT SELLERS, 1845

Sale Date: May 7, 1993

Auction Closed

VIEW OF LAKE WITH THATCHED-ROOF COTTAGE , 1840–1850

William Henry Fox Talbot

VIEW OF LAKE WITH THATCHED-ROOF COTTAGE , 1840–1850

Sale Date: April 7, 1993

Auction Closed

SIR WALTER SCOTT'S MONUMENT, EDINBURGH, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

SIR WALTER SCOTT'S MONUMENT, EDINBURGH, 1845

Sale Date: May 13, 1992

Auction Closed

THE LADDER, 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

THE LADDER, 1844

Sale Date: May 13, 1992

Auction Closed

TREE STUDY, 1840S

Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot

TREE STUDY, 1840S

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

STUDY OF STREET WITH SHOP FRONTS, CIRCA 1845-50

Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot

STUDY OF STREET WITH SHOP FRONTS, CIRCA 1845-50

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

STREET SCENE, EARLY 1840S

Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot

STREET SCENE, EARLY 1840S

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

THE WOODCUTTERS, CIRCA 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

THE WOODCUTTERS, CIRCA 1845

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

THE TOWER, LACOCK ABBEY, CIRCA 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

THE TOWER, LACOCK ABBEY, CIRCA 1845

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

COLEY AVENUE READING, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

COLEY AVENUE READING, 1845

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

CEREMONIAL ARCH, PARIS, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

CEREMONIAL ARCH, PARIS, 1845

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

FIVE MANUSCRIPT LETTERS TO J. TRAILL TAYLOR,...

William Henry Fox Talbot

FIVE MANUSCRIPT LETTERS TO J. TRAILL TAYLOR,...

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

QUEEN'S COLLEGE OXFORD, CIRCA 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

QUEEN'S COLLEGE OXFORD, CIRCA 1845

Sale Date: May 8, 1992

Auction Closed

HUNGERFORD SUSPENSION BRIDGE, TAKEN FROM THE , 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

HUNGERFORD SUSPENSION BRIDGE, TAKEN FROM THE , 1845

Sale Date: May 7, 1992

Auction Closed

English (US)

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