[Window, probably in Lacock Abbey]

[Window, probably in Lacock Abbey]

Negative

[Window, probably in Lacock Abbey]

ca. 1845
Albumen silver negative
Overall: 3 1/8 × 2 3/4 in. (8 × 7 cm)
Other (housing): 4 3/4 × 3 3/4 × 3/16 in. (12 × 9.5 × 0.5 cm)
Gift of Alden Scott Boyer
1981.2832.0001
Inscriptions Inscribed in green ink on accompanying card [in Boyer's hand]: ONE OF the \ 1st glass negative [sic] ever \ made by H.Fox Talbot \ Inventor of Photography in the 1840s. \ Presented by Fox Talbot \ to one of his Circle of Workers \ at Malmesbury, Wiltshire, near Lacock Abbey his home – \ Secured from the Family \ by A.S. Boyer in January \ 1948 – Received Feb 1948 in \ Chicago

Inscribed in black ink on accompanying card [in Boyer's hand]: Believed to be the 1st gla. negative ever made - \ Albumen. \ Print of my \ Fox Talbot \ glass \ negative. [underlined] \ From London - [underlined] \ 2 \1948

Inscribed in black ink on verso of print OA: Print from \ Talbot glass \ negative - Dr. Weils \ Catalogue - No 7 - \ item No 72 - \ about 1840 to 1850. [dates underlined] \ Please return -

Stamped in blue ink on verso of print, BC: ALDEN SCOTT BOYER \ 2232 WABASH AVENUE \ CHICAGO 16; U.S.A.

Inscribed in pencil on verso of print, BRC: 14232A

Printed on accompanying photocopy of catalog entry: 72 TALBOT, HENRY FOX. ORIGINAL SMALL GLASS-NEGATIVE (7 X 8 CM.) OF A WINDOW \ PROBABLY IN LACOCK ABBEY. About 1840 to 1850. \ It is now known that Talbot experimented with glass negatives; very few of these glass- \ negatives which show all signs of experimenting (unevenly distributed emulsion which \ only partly covers the plate, stains, dried up bubbles, etc.) have survived. The emulsion \ was albumen, in from of white of eggs, as vehicle for the silver salts. (For this information \ I am again indebted to Mr. Harold White). This negative was given to a friend in the village. It is certainly a remarkable document in early photography. \ From : E. Weil catalog #7 1945 [typed]
[photocopy also includes descriptions for items number 73 and 73a]

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