More about the World's oldest Photograph
According to research by an American scholar, Larry Schaaf, a 200-year-old image of a leaf may be the world's oldest photograph. The image laid for years in an album, and was believed to have been dated 1839. However, Schaaf, believes it may have been made more than 30 years earlier by Thomas Wedgewood. The photogenic drawing, which is a negative obtained by laying the leaf on light-sensitive paper and exposing it to the sun, was attributed to Henry Fox Talbot, one of the pioneers of early photography. Schaaf, an expert on Fox Talbot, says that a "W" on the image may refer to Thomas Wedgewood, who was a member of the Wedgewood china family. 200-year-old image of a leaf, which lay for years in an album, may be the world's oldest photograph, according to research by a scholar.
The photogenic drawing, a negative obtained by laying the leaf on light-sensitive paper and exposing it to the sun, has been attributed to Henry Fox Talbot, one of the pioneers of photography. Wedgewood began experimenting with making solar pictures during the 1790's, in the exact same way that Fox Talbot did in the 1830's. Both used paper made light sensitive by a treatment with silver nitrate. Wedgewood conducted his photography experiments while living in Bristol, UK, but it was thought that none of his work had survived. Currently, the oldest permanent photography is an image by Joseph Niepce of France, which was created on chemically treated pewter in 1826. But if Schaaf is correct, the leaf image may date from the final years of the 18th century, and in turn would be the world's oldest photography. The leaf image was purchased in London in 1984 by a New York dealer for about $12,000. Today it would be worth anywhere between $100,000 and $140,000. However, if it can be confirmed that it is the world's oldest photograph, "the sky could be the limit" said Sotheby's photography expert, Denise Bethel.
The leaf image had been offered for sale last month at a Sotheby's auction in New York, but has since been withdrawn pending further investigation. The image had been in an album belonging to Henry Bright (1784-1869), a Bristol MP and member of a very prominent family interested in the arts and science. Five other photogenic drawings from the album were also sold in 1984, of which four also have a "W" on them. One is in the J Paul Getty Museum, one is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and two are privately owned. Both of the museums are now conducting their own private tests of the images. Schaaf indicated that the leaf did not fit into Fox Talbot's known body of work, but mentioned that the Bright and Wedgewood families shared mutual scientific friends.
The photogenic drawing, a negative obtained by laying the leaf on light-sensitive paper and exposing it to the sun, has been attributed to Henry Fox Talbot, one of the pioneers of photography. Wedgewood began experimenting with making solar pictures during the 1790's, in the exact same way that Fox Talbot did in the 1830's. Both used paper made light sensitive by a treatment with silver nitrate. Wedgewood conducted his photography experiments while living in Bristol, UK, but it was thought that none of his work had survived. Currently, the oldest permanent photography is an image by Joseph Niepce of France, which was created on chemically treated pewter in 1826. But if Schaaf is correct, the leaf image may date from the final years of the 18th century, and in turn would be the world's oldest photography. The leaf image was purchased in London in 1984 by a New York dealer for about $12,000. Today it would be worth anywhere between $100,000 and $140,000. However, if it can be confirmed that it is the world's oldest photograph, "the sky could be the limit" said Sotheby's photography expert, Denise Bethel.
The leaf image had been offered for sale last month at a Sotheby's auction in New York, but has since been withdrawn pending further investigation. The image had been in an album belonging to Henry Bright (1784-1869), a Bristol MP and member of a very prominent family interested in the arts and science. Five other photogenic drawings from the album were also sold in 1984, of which four also have a "W" on them. One is in the J Paul Getty Museum, one is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and two are privately owned. Both of the museums are now conducting their own private tests of the images. Schaaf indicated that the leaf did not fit into Fox Talbot's known body of work, but mentioned that the Bright and Wedgewood families shared mutual scientific friends.
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6:13 AM
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