Henry Fox Talbot

Henry Fox Talbot - Inventors, Timeline and Childhood

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Henry Fox Talbot's Personal Details

William Henry Fox Talbot was a British scientist best known for inventing the salted paper and calotype processes

InformationDetail
BirthdayFebruary 11, 1800
Died onSeptember 17, 1877
NationalityBritish
FamousTrinity College, Cambridge, Photographers, Scientists, Inventors
HobbiesAssyrian wedge writing, Electromagnetism
SpousesConstance Fox Talbot
Known asWilliam Henry Fox Talbot, William Fox Talbot
Universities
  • Trinity College, Cambridge
  • Trinity College
  • Cambridge
  • Harrow School
Notable Alumnis
  • Trinity College
  • Cambridge
Discoveries / Inventions
  • Photographic Engraving
  • Calotype
  • Photoglyphic Engraving
Birth PlaceDorset
GenderMale
FatherWilliam Davenport Talbot
MotherElisabeth Fox Strangways
Sun SignAquarius
Born inDorset
Famous asInventor
Died at Age77

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Henry Fox Talbot's photo

Who is Henry Fox Talbot?

William Henry Fox Talbot was a British scientist and photography pioneer best known for inventing the salted paper and calotype processes. He was a true polymath with interests in myriad subjects like chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, classics, and art history, though he ultimately achieved fame as a pioneer in the field of photography which was still in its infancy in the mid-19th century. His invention, the photographic process of calotype was an improvement over the daguerreotype of the French inventor L.J.M. Daguerre. Talbot was the first to have developed the photographic negative, from which multiple prints could be made. During the 1840s he worked extensively on photomechanical reproduction which led to the development of the photoglyphic engraving process. Intelligent and curious from a young age, he developed interests in a variety of subjects as a boy. After completing his education from the prestigious Trinity College, Cambridge, he wrote several papers which he submitted to the Royal Society. Artistically inclined with a passion for chemistry he embarked on a series of experiments in photography. Over the next few years he made several important contributions to the field of photography, of which the most significant ones were the invention of the salted paper and photographic negative. He was awarded by the Royal Society for his photographic discoveries

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Childhood & Early Life

William Henry Fox Talbot was born on 11 February, 1800, in Melbury, Dorset, England as the only child of William Davenport Talbot and his wife Lady Elisabeth Fox Strangways. His family was a well-connected one.

His father died when the boy was still a baby. He lived in a succession of homes with his single mother until she remarried in 1804.

He was a bright young boy and was blessed with an innate curiosity and love for learning. He received his primary education from the Harrow School in Rottingdean. He went to study at the prestigious Trinity College, Cambridge after completing his schooling. There he received the Porson prize in Classics in 1820.

Following his graduation from the Trinity in 1821, he started submitting his papers to the Royal Society. Many of his papers were on mathematical subjects though he also had a keen interest in the sciences and also wrote articles on astronomy and physics.

He was a polymath with varied interests in different fields. He had an artistic bent of mind and developed a fascination with photography, a field which was in the early stages of its development in that era and offered much scope for experimentation and discoveries.

Career

He began his optical researches as a young man and contributed a paper titled ‘Some Experiments on Coloured Flame’ to the ‘Edinburgh Philosophical Journal’ in 1826 and a paper on ‘Monochromatic Light’ to the ‘Quarterly Journal of Science’ in 1827. He also wrote several papers on chemical subjects for the ‘Philosophical Magazine’.

While visiting the Lake Como in Italy in 1833 he tried to sketch the scenery but failed to capture its beauty. So he began to think of a machine which could capture images on light-sensitive paper. He set to work on this project upon his return home.

He briefly served in Parliament (1833–34) and spent much of the 1830s in experimenting in photography. He created the “salt paper” by wetting a sheet of paper with a solution of ordinary table salt which he brushed with a strong solution of silver nitrate upon drying. This made the paper light sensitive and it darkened when exposed to light.

He went on to develop a photographic process which he called Calotype. This method, which used paper coated with silver iodide, was considered to be an improvement over the process of daguerreotype developed earlier by Daguerre. He had this process patented in 1841.

His work, ‘The Pencil of Nature’ (1844–46), published in six installments, is regarded as an important and influential work in the history of photography. It was the first commercially published book illustrated with photographs. He was also the author of several other works, including ‘English Etymologies’ (1846).

Major Works

In spite of being a brilliant polymath, Talbot achieved the maximum fame as a pioneer in photography. He invented the salted paper through a series of experiments and this paper, which darkened where it was exposed to light, could be used to create images known as “salt prints”.

Another one of his major inventions was the Calotype—also known as talbotype after him—an early photographic process that produced a translucent original negative image from which multiple positives could be made by simple contact printing.

Awards & Achievements

In 1838, he received a Royal Medal in mathematics “For his papers entitled Researches in the Integral Calculus, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1836 and 1837."

Talbot received the Rumford Medal of the Royal Society for his photographic discoveries in 1842.

Personal Life & Legacy

Henry Fox Talbot married Constance Mundy in 1832 and had four children: Ela, Rosamond, Matilda, and Charles.

William Henry Fox Talbot was plagued by ill health during his later years and died on 17 September 1877, at the age of 77.

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Henry Fox Talbot's awards

YearNameAward

Other

01842 - Rumford Medal
0 1838 - Royal Medal

Henry Fox Talbot biography timelines

  • // 11th Feb 1800
    William Henry Fox Talbot was born on 11 February, 1800, in Melbury, Dorset, England as the only child of William Davenport Talbot and his wife Lady Elisabeth Fox Strangways. His family was a well-connected one.
  • // 1804
    His father died when the boy was still a baby. He lived in a succession of homes with his single mother until she remarried in 1804.
  • // 1820
    He was a bright young boy and was blessed with an innate curiosity and love for learning. He received his primary education from the Harrow School in Rottingdean. He went to study at the prestigious Trinity College, Cambridge after completing his schooling. There he received the Porson prize in Classics in 1820.
  • // 1821
    Following his graduation from the Trinity in 1821, he started submitting his papers to the Royal Society. Many of his papers were on mathematical subjects though he also had a keen interest in the sciences and also wrote articles on astronomy and physics.
  • // 1826 To 1827
    He began his optical researches as a young man and contributed a paper titled ‘Some Experiments on Coloured Flame’ to the ‘Edinburgh Philosophical Journal’ in 1826 and a paper on ‘Monochromatic Light’ to the ‘Quarterly Journal of Science’ in 1827. He also wrote several papers on chemical subjects for the ‘Philosophical Magazine’.
  • // 1832
    Henry Fox Talbot married Constance Mundy in 1832 and had four children: Ela, Rosamond, Matilda, and Charles.
  • // 1833
    While visiting the Lake Como in Italy in 1833 he tried to sketch the scenery but failed to capture its beauty. So he began to think of a machine which could capture images on light-sensitive paper. He set to work on this project upon his return home.
  • // 1833
    He briefly served in Parliament (1833–34) and spent much of the 1830s in experimenting in photography. He created the “salt paper” by wetting a sheet of paper with a solution of ordinary table salt which he brushed with a strong solution of silver nitrate upon drying. This made the paper light sensitive and it darkened when exposed to light.
  • // 1836 To 1838
    In 1838, he received a Royal Medal in mathematics “For his papers entitled Researches in the Integral Calculus, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1836 and 1837."
  • // 1841
    He went on to develop a photographic process which he called Calotype. This method, which used paper coated with silver iodide, was considered to be an improvement over the process of daguerreotype developed earlier by Daguerre. He had this process patented in 1841.
  • // 1842
    Talbot received the Rumford Medal of the Royal Society for his photographic discoveries in 1842.
  • // 1844 To 1846
    His work, ‘The Pencil of Nature’ (1844–46), published in six installments, is regarded as an important and influential work in the history of photography. It was the first commercially published book illustrated with photographs. He was also the author of several other works, including ‘English Etymologies’ (1846).
  • // 17th Sep 1877
    William Henry Fox Talbot was plagued by ill health during his later years and died on 17 September 1877, at the age of 77.

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Henry Fox Talbot's FAQ

  • What is Henry Fox Talbot birthday?

    Henry Fox Talbot was born at 1800-02-11

  • When was Henry Fox Talbot died?

    Henry Fox Talbot was died at 1877-09-17

  • Where was Henry Fox Talbot died?

    Henry Fox Talbot was died in Lacock

  • Which age was Henry Fox Talbot died?

    Henry Fox Talbot was died at age 77

  • Where is Henry Fox Talbot's birth place?

    Henry Fox Talbot was born in Dorset

  • What is Henry Fox Talbot nationalities?

    Henry Fox Talbot's nationalities is British

  • What is Henry Fox Talbot hobbies?

    Henry Fox Talbot's hobbies is Assyrian wedge writing, Electromagnetism

  • Who is Henry Fox Talbot spouses?

    Henry Fox Talbot's spouses is Constance Fox Talbot

  • What was Henry Fox Talbot universities?

    Henry Fox Talbot studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, Trinity College, Cambridge, Harrow School

  • What was Henry Fox Talbot notable alumnis?

    Henry Fox Talbot's notable alumnis is Trinity College, Cambridge

  • What is Henry Fox Talbot's inventions/discoveries?

    Photographic Engraving, Calotype, Photoglyphic Engraving was invented (or discovered) by Henry Fox Talbot

  • Who is Henry Fox Talbot's father?

    Henry Fox Talbot's father is William Davenport Talbot

  • Who is Henry Fox Talbot's mother?

    Henry Fox Talbot's mother is Elisabeth Fox Strangways

  • What is Henry Fox Talbot's sun sign?

    Henry Fox Talbot is Aquarius

  • How famous is Henry Fox Talbot?

    Henry Fox Talbot is famouse as Inventor