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

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

The Victoria & Albert Museum Reveals Details of New Photography Center

by Amah-Rose Abrams

The Victoria & Albert Museum Reveals Details of New Photography Center

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

William Henry Fox Talbot (310 results)

The tuileries, 1859

William Henry Fox Talbot

The tuileries, 1859

Sale Date: November 7, 2006

Auction Closed

Entrance gate, Abbotsford, 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

Entrance gate, Abbotsford, 1844

Sale Date: May 23, 2006

Auction Closed

Fragment of lace, 1858

William Henry Fox Talbot

Fragment of lace, 1858

Sale Date: May 23, 2006

Auction Closed

The ladder

William Henry Fox Talbot

Sale Date: May 31, 2006

Auction Closed

The rivulet that runs at the base of Castle..., 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

The rivulet that runs at the base of Castle..., 1844

Sale Date: April 25, 2006

Auction Closed

Oak tree in winter, 1842–1843

William Henry Fox Talbot

Oak tree in winter, 1842–1843

Sale Date: October 12, 2005

Auction Closed

Study of foliage (+ 4 others; 5 works,..., 1852–1857

William Henry Fox Talbot

Study of foliage (+ 4 others; 5 works,..., 1852–1857

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Scented geranium leaf with superimposed , 1852–1857

William Henry Fox Talbot

Scented geranium leaf with superimposed , 1852–1857

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Torn & folded scrap of crape (+..., 1852–1857

William Henry Fox Talbot

Torn & folded scrap of crape (+..., 1852–1857

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

A strip of lace, with selvage, 1852–1857

William Henry Fox Talbot

A strip of lace, with selvage, 1852–1857

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Graminée du Midi de la France - Three..., 1852–1857

William Henry Fox Talbot

Graminée du Midi de la France - Three..., 1852–1857

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Somerset House from Waterloo Bridge, London, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

Somerset House from Waterloo Bridge, London, 1845

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

The Three Graces, 1840–1849

William Henry Fox Talbot

The Three Graces, 1840–1849

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Insect wings, seen through the solar microscope

William Henry Fox Talbot

Insect wings, seen through the solar microscope

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

The Bridge of Sighs, St. John's College,..., 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

The Bridge of Sighs, St. John's College,..., 1845

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Nelson's Column under construction,..., 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

Nelson's Column under construction,..., 1844

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

The Hungerford Bridge, London, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

The Hungerford Bridge, London, 1845

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Lace, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Egyptian tablet, Thebes, 1840–1849

William Henry Fox Talbot

Egyptian tablet, Thebes, 1840–1849

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

The chess players, 1845

Circle of William Henry Fox Talbot

The chess players, 1845

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

One of the towers of Orleans Cathedral, as..., 1843

William Henry Fox Talbot

One of the towers of Orleans Cathedral, as..., 1843

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Oak tree in winter, 1842–1843

William Henry Fox Talbot

Oak tree in winter, 1842–1843

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

A bush of hydrangea in flower, 1842

William Henry Fox Talbot

A bush of hydrangea in flower, 1842

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

New Hall library, Lincoln's Inn, London, 1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

New Hall library, Lincoln's Inn, London, 1845

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

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