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)
MELROSE ABBEY, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

MELROSE ABBEY, 1845

Sale Date: April 15, 1992

Auction Closed

CHURCH FASADE, 1840

Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot

CHURCH FASADE, 1840

Sale Date: April 13, 1992

Auction Closed

ETUDE D'UN BUSTE DE JEUNE FILLE, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

ETUDE D'UN BUSTE DE JEUNE FILLE, 1845

Sale Date: November 23, 1991

Auction Closed

THE TOMB OF SIR WALTER SCOTT DRYBURGH ABBEY, 1945

William Henry Fox Talbot

THE TOMB OF SIR WALTER SCOTT DRYBURGH ABBEY, 1945

Sale Date: October 10, 1991

Auction Closed

YORK MINSTER FROM LOB LANE, 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

YORK MINSTER FROM LOB LANE, 1844

Sale Date: October 9, 1991

Auction Closed

LOCH KATRINE, 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

LOCH KATRINE, 1844

Sale Date: May 10, 1991

Auction Closed

William Henry Fox Talbot

"HAGAR IN THE DESERT", 1842

Sale Date: May 10, 1991

Auction Closed

LEAF STUDY, 1852

William Henry Fox Talbot

LEAF STUDY, 1852

Sale Date: May 9, 1991

Auction Closed

THREE STEMS, 1852

William Henry Fox Talbot

THREE STEMS, 1852

Sale Date: May 9, 1991

Auction Closed

FRAGMENT OF LACE, 1852

William Henry Fox Talbot

FRAGMENT OF LACE, 1852

Sale Date: May 9, 1991

Auction Closed

HALL DOOR, ABBOTSFORD

William Henry Fox Talbot

HALL DOOR, ABBOTSFORD

Sale Date: April 17, 1991

Auction Closed

PART OF QUEEN'S COLLEGE, OXFORD

William Henry Fox Talbot

PART OF QUEEN'S COLLEGE, OXFORD

Sale Date: April 17, 1991

Auction Closed

RED CEDAR TREE, 1840–1840

William Henry Fox Talbot

RED CEDAR TREE, 1840–1840

Sale Date: April 16, 1991

Auction Closed

EFFIGY OF SIR WALTER SCOTT'S FAVOURITE..., 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

EFFIGY OF SIR WALTER SCOTT'S FAVOURITE..., 1845–1845

Sale Date: April 16, 1991

Auction Closed

NELSON'S COLUMN UNDER CONSTRUCTION, 1843, 1843–1843

William Henry Fox Talbot

NELSON'S COLUMN UNDER CONSTRUCTION, 1843, 1843–1843

Sale Date: November 1, 1990

Auction Closed

ENTRANCE GATE, ABBOTSFORD, 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

ENTRANCE GATE, ABBOTSFORD, 1845–1845

Sale Date: October 17, 1990

Auction Closed

MELROSE ABBEY, 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

MELROSE ABBEY, 1844

Sale Date: May 11, 1990

Auction Closed

GROUP OF LADY AND GENTLEMAN, THOUGHT TO , 1846–1846

William Henry Fox Talbot

GROUP OF LADY AND GENTLEMAN, THOUGHT TO , 1846–1846

Sale Date: May 10, 1990

Auction Closed

ARTICLES OF CHINA, 1844–1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

ARTICLES OF CHINA, 1844–1844

Sale Date: May 10, 1990

Auction Closed

THE REVEREND CALVERT JONES SEATED IN..., 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

THE REVEREND CALVERT JONES SEATED IN..., 1845–1845

Sale Date: May 10, 1990

Auction Closed

LOCH KATRINE, 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

LOCH KATRINE, 1845–1845

Sale Date: May 10, 1990

Auction Closed

ABBOTSFORD, 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

ABBOTSFORD, 1845–1845

Sale Date: May 10, 1990

Auction Closed

LEAF STUDY, 1852–1852

William Henry Fox Talbot

LEAF STUDY, 1852–1852

Sale Date: May 10, 1990

Auction Closed

THREE STEMS, 1852–1852

William Henry Fox Talbot

THREE STEMS, 1852–1852

Sale Date: May 10, 1990

Auction Closed

English (US)

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