Commercialising Photography

A Cyanotype
portrait of John Herschel

In the early 1830’s, popularity surrounding photographic image production and reproduction was growing. English scientist, astronomer and chemist John Herschel discovered and patented the ‘Cyanotype’, a process that uses a photosensitive compound applied to a paper or cloth surface which is secured to a contact negative and then exposed to UV light. When the latent image is placed in water, the chemicals react, revealing the positive image in a cyan blue colour; a characteristic that gave birth to the name ‘Cyanotype’.

The ‘Cyanotype’ gained popularity through its simplicity and economical nature and although he created this process, Herschel never applied it to photography, using this photogram style process 
primarily for research purposes, duplicating notes, diagrams and blueprints.

Cyanotype of Algae - Anna Atkins 1843

In later years, Herschel coined the terms ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ in relation to photography and also conducted experiments on platinum process and colour reproduction, however, possibly the most significant influence Hershel had on the history of photography came when he discovered ‘sodium thiosulfate’ to be a solvent of silver halides and therefore, could be used as a photographic fixer.

This innovative research was read at London’s Royal Society and Herschel passed on said information to two men who pioneered early commercial photographic processing; William Henry Fox Talbot and Louis Daguerre.

Louis Daguerre

William Henry Fox Talbot

In 1840, William Henry Fox Talbot of England and Louis Daguerre of France almost independently announced their photographic process discoveries. Unbeknownst to either party, both men had been experimenting with largely differing photographic processes, that at the time, were in close competition with one and other to become the first widely used commercial photographic process. Daguerre’s process was superior in its day, however, the future belonged to Talbot’s technology and aspects of his process resemble film techniques that are still used today.

A Daguerreotype that is widely recognised as the worlds first
photograph of a human being - Louis Daguerre 1838

Daguerre’s process; the ‘Daguerreotype’, exposed images on a silvered copper plate, not unlike that of his short-term colleague Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Talbot’s ‘Calotype’ process created a negative image from which multiple positive images could be printed.

When released to the public, the ‘Daguerreotype’ had some benefits over it’s rival British technique. The advantage of having a much sharper image recreation, and the fact that Daguerre was able to release his process to the public for free, resulted in the ‘Daguerreotype’ gaining precedence as a commercial photographic method.

The ‘Daguerreotype’, however, did have serious limitations. The reflective nature of the silvered positive images meant photographs could only be viewed well from certain angles. The process also could only produce one-of-a-kind images that did not permit duplication. These factors, along with the discovery that due to the presence of mercury in the development, many of those to use the process began to fall ill and die, contributed to the demise of the commercial ‘Daguerreotype’.

Calotype of Chain Bridge, Newhaven - 1841

The public began to move away from the 'Daguerrotype' process, especially in the United Kingdom and Europe, and replace it with Talbot's 'Calotype'. Primarily due to the inexpensive nature of the process; the 'Calotype' became widely used until wet plate processes were discovered in the late 19th century

The ‘Daguerreotype’ process preceded contemporary ‘Tintype’ and ‘Ambrotype’ plate processes and although it was a prominent photographic process for over 15 years after photography’s invention, it was Talbot’s ‘Calotype’ – duplicate images printed from a negative – that became the basis for 20^th century photography.