Seizing the Light, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER THREE Calotype Rising: The Arrival of Photography

 

 

 

THE CALOTYPE

The introduction and acceptance of new mechanically based devices and processes of visual representation began to alter the viewing content and expectations of imagemakers and the public. Lithography, mezzotint,¹ and wood engraving fueled the economic market for the mass production of prints. Daguerre’s high-resolution direct-positive imagemaking method was an ideal fit for these visual conceptions. The possibility that Talbot’s two-step, negative/positive print system was a more advantageous process was not at first seriously considered. The daguerreotype’s wizardry had mesmerized viewers with its detailed, miniature, monochrome reflections of the world. Even Talbot’s ...