c. 1843/47
William Henry Fox Talbot English, 1800–1877
England
William Henry Fox Talbot was one of the inventors of photography, developing the first positive-negative process. Although he did use his technique to produce portraits, the lengthy exposure time made it better suited to still lifes and architectural studies. Talbot received special permission to photograph inside the precincts of Windsor Castle (his half-sister was a lady in waiting to Queen Victoria, an avid supporter of photography). There he produced, among other images, this photograph of Saint George’s chapel, the castle’s place of worship.
Salted paper print