{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1388945"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1388945/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KN2919/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KN2919/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017KN2919","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KR3333","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KR3338","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1388945","accessionNumber":"RPS.240-2017","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Fern leaf","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Talbot was the British inventor of photography. In 1834 he discovered how to make and fix images through the action of light and chemistry on paper. These ‘negatives’ could be used to make multiple prints. This revolutionised image making.\r\n\r\nTalbot excelled in many fields, including mathematics, optics, botany and chemistry. However, it was his inability to master drawing outdoors that prompted him to experiment with capturing images inside a camera. He published his photographic discoveries and ideas, illustrated with original photographs, in his book The Pencil of Nature. Talbot patented his negative photographic process, which he called the ‘calotype’, in 1841. Later, he pioneered photographic engraving – printing photographs in ink. His processes became the basis of virtually all subsequent photography. ","physicalDescription":"A mounted black and white photograph depicting a stem of fern with multiple leaves. There is a piece of paper with writing stuck to the mount in the top left corner.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Fox Talbot, William Henry","id":"A15794"},"association":{"text":"photoengraver","id":"AAT25715"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"photo-engraving","id":"AAT53297"},{"text":"photoglyphic engraving","id":"THES279713"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Photo-engraving","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"The Royal Photographic Society","id":"THES281081"},{"text":"Flowers and plants","id":"THES413216"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"DOP","id":"THES291628"},"images":["2017KN2919","2018KR3333","2018KR3338"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"MB006","shelf":"BY003","box":"XRP 597 A"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":"AAT41273"}],[{"text":"photoengraving","id":"AAT154358"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"United Kingdom","id":"x29336"},"association":{"text":"photoengraving","id":"AAT53297"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"May 1857","earliest":"1857-05-01","latest":"1857-05-31"},"association":{"text":"photoengraving","id":"AAT53297"},"note":"Date as inscribed by Charles Henry Talbot, son of the artist"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"103","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"72","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Image","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"222","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Paper","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"145","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Paper","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"103","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Plate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"72","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Plate","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Fern Leaf. Photo-engraving by Fox Talbot, May, 1857, showing crape veil.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Recto, on label in Charles Henry Talbot's hand."},{"content":"2","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Recto, in pencil"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Print by William Henry Fox Talbot, 'Fern Leaf', photoglyphic engraving, 1857","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Schaaf, Larry John. <u>The Photographic Art of William Henry Fox Talbot.</u> Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2000. ISBN 0691050007."}],"production":"From a frame with a label for Whitechapel Art Gallery Photographic Exhibition 1905.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"<b>Photography Centre 2018-20:</b>\n\nWilliam Henry Fox Talbot (1800–77) \r\n\r\nTalbot was the British inventor of photography. In 1834 he discovered how to make and fix images through the action of light and chemistry on paper. These ‘negatives’ could be used to make multiple prints. This revolutionised image making.\r\n\r\nTalbot excelled in many fields, including mathematics, optics, botany and chemistry. However, it was his inability to master drawing outdoors that prompted him to experiment with capturing images inside a camera. He published his photographic discoveries and ideas, illustrated with original photographs, in his book The Pencil of Nature. Talbot patented his negative photographic process, which he called the ‘calotype’, in 1841. Later, he pioneered photographic engraving – printing photographs in ink. His processes became the basis of virtually all subsequent photography. \r\n\r\nYou can see how calotypes are made in the ‘Dark Tent’ film room in Room 99.\r\n\r\nThe Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Art Fund\r\n","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["RPS.240-2017"],"accessionNumberNum":"240","accessionNumberPrefix":"RPS","accessionYear":2017,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Royal Photographic Society number","id":"THES275233"},"number":"RPS025521"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-14","recordCreationDate":"2017-03-31","availableToBook":false}}