Portrait of Rosamond Constance Talbot, the Photographer’s Daughter

attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot, c. 1842

In this little salted paper portrait taken by the British inventor of photography, the difference with the daguerreotype – the French invention of photography on a silvered copper plate – is quite distinct. A daguerreotype photograph is pinpoint-sharp and almost tangible in a magical way. In contrast, a paper photograph has soft lines and contours and is picturesque, like a drawing in sepia. Daguerreotype produced unique and one-off images, while paper photography was reproducible.

  • Artwork typephotograph
  • Object numberRP-F-F17637
  • Dimensionsheight 113 mm x width 95 mm