Camera Victorian Eyewitness A History of Photography: 1826-1913

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Ultimately, that’s the biggest issue. Someone posted something false for whatever reason, and people allowed their worldview to be immediately altered with zero evidence. Journalistic institutions then covered the situation, parroting lies, thereby spreading misinformation to even more people. Only some of the persuaded readers will ever see the official statement from the Department for Transport, disabusing them of the lie. Stieglitz founded and edited the influential photography magazine Camera Work from 1902–17 and founded the Little Galleries of Photo-Secession at 291 Fifth Avenue in New York. Stieglitz also later established another gallery in the same premises, known simply as ’291’. William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877) is a key figure in the history of photography: he invented early photographic processes and established the basic principle of photography as a negative/positive process. Exposures were made on a circular glass plate that was rotated after each exposure by turning a knob protruding from the front of the camera. Six photographs, 40mm in diameter, could be taken on each plate. Rotating the knob also set the rotary shutter, which was released by pulling on a length of string which dangled from the bottom the camera.

The first cameras had a fixed focus lens that could not be manipulated, which meant that the camera needed to be at an exact distance from the subjects, and all subjects had to be at that same distance. Within years of the first daguerreotype camera, inventors realized they could create a lens that could be moved to suit the distance between device and subject. They would use primitive rangefinders to determine how the lens needed to be changed for the clearest photo. The first photograph taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce was of the view from a window of his family’s home. This view was of the courtyard. The image is titled ‘View from the Window at Le Gras’. Humphrey Spender (1910–2005) was a British photographer who worked for Picture Post magazine and the Daily Mirror during the 1930s. Working under the name ‘Lensman’, Spender also worked for the Mass-Observation team from 1937 onwards. Helped in part by the development of new, smaller cameras, Spender became famous for his ability to maintain a low profile, and photograph scenes with minimal disruption. You can read more about the British Empire and how it changed the world, in our British Empire facts. Steichen is known in particular for his collaboration with Alfred Stieglitz at the 291 Gallery, his founder-membership of the Photo-Secessionist movement, and his directorship of the Photographic Department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1955, at MoMA, Steichen organised the exhibition The Family of Man, now regarded as one of the most important exhibitions in photography’s history.

Before the Victorian era, most of Britain’s population couldn’t read or write and had limited access to education. Queen Victoria believed that education should be for all, and by the end of her reign, going to school became compulsory for all children, rich or poor. 19th Century photograph of Cheapside in London, England. Above: This tintype of a woman has been heavily tinted. From the Howarth-Loomes Collection at National Museums Scotland.

A very useful feature was to fit safety screws, i.e. the bolt or stud has a small screw fitted to a female thread to prevent the wheel or knob completely unscrewing (fig. 16). Francis Frith (1822–1898) was a Victorian topographical photographer who ran a large photographic business. He specialised in producing photographic prints of British beauty spots and other tourist views including landmark buildings, as shown in this example. Frith set up his business in 1860. By the time of his death in 1898 he had opened branches all over the world. However, the single-lens reflex camera was essential for those with money who were serious about developing their passion for technology. The first 35mm SLR was the “Filmanka,” which came out of the Soviet Union in 1931. However, this had only a short production run and used a waist-level viewfinder. In 1826, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce was the first person to permanently capture an image taken with a camera. Niépce's associate, Louis Daguerre, was inspired by his findings. Daguerre went on to develop the ‘daguerreotype’ process, the first publicly announced and commercially viable photographic process. The daguerreotype only needed minutes of camera exposure. This was a drastic improvement over Niépce’s method. Daguerre’s invention also produced much clearer and detailed results. The details of this method were announced to the world in 1839. This is the year typically accepted as the birth year of practical photography.

The digital revolution

However, the next significant advancement in camera technology came in the creation of “film.” What was the first Roll Film Camera? The first roll film camera Expansion of the railways meant that people could travel faster and further than ever before. All of Britain’s major cities, like London, Glasgow and Manchester, were now connected. Before trains, the fastest mode of transport was horses. All aboard!

Carroll was a fine photographer whose skills were respected among his circle and beyond. His creativity was particularly evident in his composition and camera angles. Along with his technical skill, it resulted in the production of many striking photographs, particularly during the 1860s.A veneer key was used on the corners of dark-slides and focusing frames, earlier a tapered dowel was sometimes used running diagonally across the corner, the taper gave a wedge effect and prevented the joint from separating.

The camera obscura was used throughout the Middles Ages and even the Renaissance. Inventors embellished the invention with the addition of biconvex lenses in the second half of the 16 th century. These lenses allowed the images projected by the camera obscura to be brightened. Once particular use of the camera obscura was its ability to allow the viewer to see the solar eclipses without hurting their eyes. This proved useful for astronomers. The camera obscura was also used by artists too, as an aid for drawing and painting. The projected image could be traced, which helped artists with their graphical perspective in artwork that showed landscapes. The front standard could move along the baseboard or inner frame and be clamped when in position (figs. 65, 65a).

Photography Developed into A Business

This photograph, The Steerage, was a turning point for Stieglitz in his move towards a modern aesthetic. His work started to become more closely aligned with photography’s inherent qualities: sharp focus, good contrast and full range of tones became important to him, and replaced the fuzzy lines and dappled surfaces favoured by the Pictorialists. This change of emphasis became known as ‘straight photography’. Where the front standard can be disengaged from the baseboard it is simply pushed towards the rear standard and the baseboard can fold up to cover it (fig. 70). This is similar to Folding Bed designs. The profession offered women an independent vocation and means of generating income, in addition to providing a form of artistic expression. Reflecting on her role as a studio photographer, Olive Edis (1876–1955) stated that it was, 'a life worth living, with no monotony about it, and constantly bringing the worker in touch in a very pleasant way with humanity'. Edis would later witness the destruction caused by humanity in her role as an official war photographer. Square cornered - This method of folding the bellows leaves very sharp corners which are prone to wear (fig. 23). Photographers and manufacturers continued to experiment, creating new ways of using Talbot and Archer’s techniques.