[The Reading Establishment]
The widespread distribution of large editions of photographic prints was the promise of Talbot's negative-positive process and its principal advantage over the contemporaneous French daguerreotype. In early 1844, in an effort to encourage the mass production of paper photographs, Talbot supported Nicolaas Henneman, his former valet, in the creation of the first photographic printing firm, situated in the town of Reading. It was there that prints for The Pencil of Nature were produced.
The activities of the Reading establishment are shown here: Talbot, operating the camera at the center, makes a portrait, while at the right Henneman photographs a sculpture of the Three Graces. Other employees copy an engraving, stand attentively with a second camera back-loaded with sensitized paper, attend the racks of glass frames in which negatives and photographic paper are sandwiched for printing in sunlight, and adjust a device likely intended to aid focusing.
The activities of the Reading establishment are shown here: Talbot, operating the camera at the center, makes a portrait, while at the right Henneman photographs a sculpture of the Three Graces. Other employees copy an engraving, stand attentively with a second camera back-loaded with sensitized paper, attend the racks of glass frames in which negatives and photographic paper are sandwiched for printing in sunlight, and adjust a device likely intended to aid focusing.
Artwork Details
- Title: [The Reading Establishment]
- Artist: Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot (British, Dorset 1800–1877 Lacock)
- Artist: Attributed to Nicolaas Henneman (Dutch, Heemskerk 1813–1898 London)
- Date: 1846
- Medium: Salted paper prints from paper negatives
- Dimensions: Left image: 18.6 x 22.4 cm (7 5/16 x 8 13/16 in.)
Right image: 18.1 × 22 cm (7 1/8 × 8 11/16 in.)
Overall sheet: 19.9 × 49.1 cm (7 13/16 × 19 5/16 in.) - Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Gilman Collection, Gift of The Howard Gilman Foundation, 2005
- Object Number: 2005.100.171.1, .2
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
William Henry Fox Talbot
1844
William Henry Fox Talbot
1845
William Henry Fox Talbot
before March 22, 1844
William Henry Fox Talbot
before June 1845
William Henry Fox Talbot
before September 1844
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.