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)
The pencil of nature, fascicle no. 1 (bk w/5 , 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

The pencil of nature, fascicle no. 1 (bk w/5 , 1844

Sale Date: May 18, 2005

Auction Closed

Chew Magna, Somerset. View of St...., 1840–1849

Circle of William Henry Fox Talbot

Chew Magna, Somerset. View of St...., 1840–1849

Sale Date: May 17, 2005

Auction Closed

View at Plymouth, 1846 or before

William Henry Fox Talbot

View at Plymouth, 1846 or before

Sale Date: May 17, 2005

Auction Closed

Articles of China, 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

Articles of China, 1844

Sale Date: April 26, 2005

Auction Closed

The Pencil of Nature (w/dust jacket &..., 1969

William Henry Fox Talbot

The Pencil of Nature (w/dust jacket &..., 1969

Sale Date: February 15, 2005

Auction Closed

The ladder, 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

The ladder, 1844

Sale Date: November 18, 2004

Auction Closed

The pencil of nature, fascicle no.3 (bk , 1844–1846

William Henry Fox Talbot

The pencil of nature, fascicle no.3 (bk , 1844–1846

Sale Date: November 16, 2004

Auction Closed

Jill Stinchcombe in Walhalla, Victoria, 1962–1962

William Henry Fox Talbot

Jill Stinchcombe in Walhalla, Victoria, 1962–1962

Sale Date: May 20, 2004

Auction Closed

York Minster from Lop Lane, July 28, 1945

William Henry Fox Talbot

York Minster from Lop Lane, July 28, 1945

Sale Date: April 24, 2004

Auction Closed

Articles of China, 1844–1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

Articles of China, 1844–1844

Sale Date: April 23, 2004

Auction Closed

A fruit piece, 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

A fruit piece, 1845–1845

Sale Date: April 23, 2004

Auction Closed

Veronica in bloom, 1840–1840

William Henry Fox Talbot

Veronica in bloom, 1840–1840

Sale Date: April 22, 2004

Auction Closed

Fine grass study (Graminée du midi de..., 1852–1857

William Henry Fox Talbot

Fine grass study (Graminée du midi de..., 1852–1857

Sale Date: April 22, 2004

Auction Closed

Cathedral, Orleans, 1843–1843

William Henry Fox Talbot

Cathedral, Orleans, 1843–1843

Sale Date: November 18, 2003

Auction Closed

Patroclus, 1843–1843

William Henry Fox Talbot

Patroclus, 1843–1843

Sale Date: May 15, 2003

Auction Closed

Stonehouse, 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

Stonehouse, 1845–1845

Sale Date: May 15, 2003

Auction Closed

Loch Katrine, Scotland, 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

Loch Katrine, Scotland, 1845–1845

Sale Date: May 15, 2003

Auction Closed

Windsor Chapel, east end of St. George's, 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

Windsor Chapel, east end of St. George's, 1845–1845

Sale Date: May 15, 2003

Auction Closed

Bust of Partroclus, 1841–1841

William Henry Fox Talbot

Bust of Partroclus, 1841–1841

Sale Date: April 24, 2003

Auction Closed

Nelson's column under construction,..., 1844–1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

Nelson's column under construction,..., 1844–1844

Sale Date: April 22, 2003

Auction Closed

Articles of glassware, pl.IV, 1844–1844

William Henry Fox Talbot

Articles of glassware, pl.IV, 1844–1844

Sale Date: February 10, 2003

Auction Closed

View of the boulevards of Paris, 1843–1843

William Henry Fox Talbot

View of the boulevards of Paris, 1843–1843

Sale Date: February 10, 2003

Auction Closed

The cloisters of Lacock Abbey, 1845–1845

William Henry Fox Talbot

The cloisters of Lacock Abbey, 1845–1845

Sale Date: November 16, 2002

Auction Closed

The fruit sellers, Lacock Abbey, 1842–1842

William Henry Fox Talbot

The fruit sellers, Lacock Abbey, 1842–1842

Sale Date: November 11, 2002

Auction Closed

English (US)

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