Photography in the 1830s

Key Figures
- Louis Daguerre (France): Uses silver iodide on metal plates.
- William Henry Fox Talbot (England): Uses silver chloride on paper.
Both worked independently, unaware of each other until press articles publicized photography.
Led to a rivalry between the two inventors.

William Henry Fox Talbot

Background
- Gentleman scholar in England.
- Wealthy, member of the House of Lords.
- Lived at Lacock Abbey.
Invention of Photogenic Drawing
- Inspired during a honeymoon in Lake Como, Italy.
- Initially used a camera lucida for sketches.
- Sought to create images using a camera obscura.
- Developed photogenic drawings by coating paper with salt and silver nitrate.
- Objects placed on paper, covered with glass, exposed to sunlight.
- Created a permanent image using stronger salt water solution.
Advancements
- First to create salted paper prints.
- Process made permanent with hypo (sodium thiosulfate).
- Shifted from silver chloride to silver iodide.
- Developed the calotype process in 1840.
- Introduced negative-positive photographic process.
- Enabled making of photographic negatives and positives.

Daguerreotype vs. Salted Paper Prints
- Daguerreotype: Crisp, clean, almost 3D images.
- Salted Paper Prints: Softer, more granulated images.
- The debate of information (Daguerre) vs. artistry (Talbot).

Pencil of Nature
- Series of publications to demonstrate photography's potential.
- Featured explanations of Talbot's processes and photographs.
- Highlighted reproducibility, a pivotal aspect of photography.