A History and Handbook of Photography

Originally published in 1876, this book was a key reference of its time, offering both a concise history of photography's invention and development and a fascinating and richly illustrated guide to 19th-century photographic practice and processes - many of which are becoming popular once more today.

Scottish photographer John Thomson (1837-1921) is best known for Street Life in London, a pioneering work of social documentary photography that helped lay the foundations for modern photojournalism. Beyond this, his remarkable career spanned a series of groundbreaking photographic portfolios documenting life, landscapes, and architecture in the Far East - often in extreme conditions - before he established a successful portrait studio in London. Amid these achievements, Thomson also found time to translate and edit this edition of Gaston Tissandier's A History and Handbook of Photography.

This newly designed and typeset edition makes both the text accessible to modern readers. Richly illustrated, this new 260-page edition delves into fascinating aspects of early photography, including:

* Setting up a studio and lighting a subject
* Coating glass plates with collodion and developing negatives
* Preparing photographic paper, toning, and pressing proofs
* Troubleshooting common issues with negatives and prints
* The role of photography in travel
* Early techniques for colouring photographs and enlarging negatives
* Waxed paper, carbon processes and the dry collodion process

A compelling insight into the technical world of early photography, this edition offers a window into the skills and challenges faced by 19th-century photographers, making it an invaluable resource for both historians and photographers interested in exploring alternative processes.