No matter the temperature, may your Christmas be warm and bright.
“Icy Night” 1898, Alfred Stieglitz, American, 1864-1946, photogravure included within Camera Work IV, 1903, 12.9 x 16.0 | 20.5 x 29.7 cm. Presented here cropped to image with additional colored masks. Used as an advertisement for Goerz Lenses, the following copy accompanied the gravure: “The original of this celebrated picture, Icy Night,” exhibited in the International Exhibitions at London, Paris, Turin, Brussels, Hamburg, Philadelphia, etc., etc., was made in January, Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-eight, at one a.m., with a Goerz Lens, Series III., full opening, and an exposure of three minutes.” From PhotoSeed Archive
“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants” —Louis Brandeis, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1913
Top: The Sun takes center stage: Detail: “La Perle Doucement S’ Éteint et la Danse S’ Arrête | The Pearl Slowly Fades Away and the Dance Stops” Pierre Dubreuil, Belgian (1872-1944) Photogravure: Chine-collé: published in Die Kunst in der Photographie: 1903: Lieferung 1 | First Issue-16.5 x 23.0 | 26.6 x 34.8 cm. A critic on this photograph from 1901:”Now the light gradually dies and with it the dance fades away, for dance is a child of the light. They have whirled around for the last time, their movements become more subdued and tired, and now they stand still. They hold hands and lean back, as if in delicious relaxation. They look long and deeply into each other’s eyes once more while the sun sets.” Bottom: The Sun clouded over: Believed to be the original source material compositionally for Dubreuil’s photograph above: Detail: “Strassenklatsch | Street Gossip” Alfred Stieglitz, American (1864-1946) Photogravure published in Die Kunst in der Photographie: 1899: Lieferung 5 | Fifth Issue-12.2 x 21.0 | 24.9 x 33.7 cm. In her book: Stieglitz-A Beginning Light, author Katherine Hoffman comments about this photograph: “Another well-known Katwyk image depicts the prow of a boat at anchor, its boom, lower sail, and rigging forming varied triangles. The prow of the boat points toward two women talking nearby at the water’s edge. Entitled, Gossip, Katwyk, the photograph focuses on narrative and formal elements. The women stand firm, their hands on their hips, forming small triangles that balance the ship’s forms and one of the women looks toward the ship. The strong horizontal elements of the beach, water, and sky, serve as a well-integrated backdrop for the women and ship. The small lantern on the boat seems to light the image symbolically.” Both from PhotoSeed Archive
This Brandeis quote is widely cited today as referring to the benefits of openness and transparency-especially as it pertains to keeping democracy vital and thriving.
So what does this have to do with a blog dedicated to preserving, promoting and riffing on the history of artistic photography?
Well, unfortunately, not much at all. That is, if only we were to think of photography as a truthful medium- something that accurately records for posterity what is placed before it or “seen” by the camera. That evidence would be from an impartial machine, and honesty might prevail. But as we traverse the second decade of the 21st Century, technology is taking a brutal hammer to what our once (believing) eyes took for fact. The sunlight of truthfulness has gotten a bit dim of late, yielding, inevitably, to “progress”. Of course, arguments could be made that photography has lied ever since the invention of the medium. Longtime readers of this blog might remember how I wrote about unscrupulous “photographers” operating in the mid 19th century who would trick people into believing the camera itself could mesmerize them. Today, as of October 2024, when I first spotted it, the updated version of mesmerization is now done courtesy of AI. (artificial intelligence) Here’s an Orwellian example of that in what I will call the Ebay photographic caption from Hell that should help put things in perspective:
Left: The Rays of the Sun cover the Earth: Before Photography, the public consciousness was getting more familiar with scientific thought in the press. Detail: Gilt decoration of the Sun and Earth: volume cover: “Light: Its Properties And Effects” London: The Religious Tract Society, 1838. 18mo: 5.5” x 4.25”. Illustrated with 40 steel engravings, an 1839 reviewer wrote of this little book: It is written in a simple style, but introduces the reader to all the arcana of the science which it touches. The anecdotes of singular illusions and the explanations of them enliven it, and serve to impress the general principles and laws of light more distinctly upon the mind. And, as may be believed from the fact of its issuing from the Tract Society, it fails not to point the learner “To look thro’ nature up to nature’s God.” Right: “Camera Obscura”, unknown artist: full-page steel engraving from “Light”- Chapter XI: Lenses-The telescope-The microscope-Various Optical Instruments: 13.5 x 9.8 cm. A family peers into a very large Camera Obscura placed on a table. Cameras such as this would eventually be retrofitted to accommodate chemically altered sheets of writing paper placed within-part of the process of making Photogenic Drawings and early Calotypes. From: PhotoSeed Archive
“This vintage photograph captures a momentous occasion in Yellowstone National Park in 1892. The image depicts a family who was taken by a tripod rigged. The photograph is in sepia tone and has a size of H18 3/10 cm x W21 5/10 cm. The image is produced using a photographic technique and features the Richardsons family. This collectible item is perfect for photography enthusiasts and collectors alike.“
So far, kinda good, other than the “tripod rigged” mention and the fact no one really speaks of common snapshots of Victorians chilling in nature as a “momentous occasion”. It would soon become apparent that our new friend AI was hard at work to really sell this photo. The caption continues:
Top left: First mass market publication of a “Sun Picture”: pasted paper label: PATENT TALBOTYPE or SUN PICTURES. 5.8 x 7.1 cm. Affixed to verso of leaf: 22.6 x 28.6 cm. 1846. Contained in “Art-Union Journal”. Top right: The editors of the publication were keen to go into detail on how Fox Talbot’s “Sun Pictures” (calotypes) were made, refuting the notion they were done by some sleight of hand, and even gave a detailed account of how these photographs were made. Bottom: “Mount Edgcumbe House, Devon” William Henry Fox Talbot, English, (1800-1877) salted paper print inserted in June 1, 1846 issue of the Art-Union Journal, London. 15.7 x 20.0 cm pasted to leaf 22.6 x 28.6 cm. Extremely rare but heavily faded, with the main facade of the home clearly identifiable, this is one of a believed 6000 original Talbotypes published in the Art Union. Various other views were also supplied by Talbot for the publication, a commission unfortunately compromised by the fact all of the calotypes were believed to be insufficiently fixed and washed by Nicolaas Henneman’s overworked Reading printing establishment. From: PhotoSeed Archive
“The Richardson Family was off on an expedition and there were no cell phones and there was no one out there and there were no Rangers and there were no Rescuers and nobody could save them if they where to call out and that’s what it was like in those days and they put their lives in front of nature and they didn’t think ahead of time to prepare if any natural occurrences would come along with bears and mountain lions.”
So yeah. What could possibly go wrong in our brave new world? I say bring on the sunlight. And lots of it. Call out the fakes. Push back. We here at PhotoSeed are big fans of transparency. Who wants to collect a “vintage” photograph with that kind of back story or an obvious fake of great, great grandma or grandad run through an AI filter? Well someone of course, and that’s cool too- whatever floats your boat and all that. But I digress.
“The Glorious Sun: Stays In His Course And Plays The Alchemist” : “Here is a Wonder, if You Talk of a Wonder” were phrases incorporated into the elaborately engraved title page to the very first issue of “Sun & Shade-A Photographic Record of Events”: July, 1888. Unknown American artist, possibly George Wharton Edwards, (1859-1950) credited with cover design for issues beginning around 1890. 30.5 x 24.1 | 35.2 x 27.6 cm. Published by the The Photo-Gravure Company of New York by Ernest Edwards, the publication, according to the volume “Imagining Paradise”, “grew from less than fifty subscribers to a monthly edition of four thousand copies” in its first year. “With emphasis on quality rather than quantity, the magazine transformed itself from its original concept of a “Photographic Record of Events” to an “Artistic Periodical”, and would feature many fine photogravure plates, mainly from photographs but also artwork. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Sunlight- as a kind of invisible chemical medium- was everything to the existence of early photography. Similar to AI today in that enabling it is just a few clicks on a computer keyboard, and may remain a mystery to unsuspecting viewers, people did not understand what a photograph was or how they were made in the earliest version of the medium. Sunlight provided that answer, or at least a reasoning. The ever-present Sun overhead provided the means for these early efforts. In the 1830s, the Englishman William Henry Fox Talbot, a botanist among other passions, experimented by recording the shapes of things like leaves and lace, contact printing these on sheets of chemically altered writing paper. The results were known as “photogenic drawings”, or drawings produced by light. It’s no wonder promotion of early photography involved the iconography of our friend the Sun.
Top: The Eyes of the Sun: Sun iconography was incorporated like this example in the cover design to the important Austrian portfolio Amateur-Kunst, (Amateur Art) published in late 1891 by the Vienna publishing house Gesellschaft für Vervielfältigende Kunst. Detail: gray cloth over boards, three-point folder portfolio-January, 1891: Vol. III, No. 29: 49.8 x 36.6 cm. Middle: From around 1890, the Sun God Phoebus, (Apollo) one of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology, was prominently featured on covers for the publication “Sun & Shade, an Artistic Periodical” published by the N.Y. Photogravure Company from 1888-1896. Wood engraving: 35.2 x 27.6 cm. George Wharton Edwards, American (1859-1950) is responsible for the Art-Nouveau cover design, which also includes a plate camera at the upper right corner. Bottom: Detail: “Sun Artists Series Wrapper”. Multi-color wood engraving: October, 1889. 40.3 x 30.4 | 40.3 x 60.8 cm (outline of series title Sun Artists printed in gold ink) Featuring a design by English illustrator Laurence Houseman, (1865-1959) this rare example of a brown-paper wrapper for the first Number of Sun Artists originally contained four hand-pulled photogravures made from the original negatives taken by English photographer Joseph Gale, (1835-1906) as well as individual letterpress featuring an essay on this photographer’s work by George Davison. All: PhotoSeed Archive
Talbot’s Calotype process, patented in 1841 with earlier iterations being the basis for his groundbreaking positive-negative process of 1839, would be referred by him and other practitioners as “Sun Pictures”, or Talbotypes. The editors of London’s Art Union Journal exclaimed in June 1846, while presenting an original example of one of his Sun Pictures (see example above) that:
“It will be remembered that we have from time to time called attention to these truly wonderful representations, in our notices of Mr. Talbot’s work, “The Pencil of Nature.” By the public these “sun-pictures” are still misapprehended-still “misnomered;” we shall accordingly, in this notice, show what they are not, and endeavour to explain what they are, as it is yet far from generally accepted that they result from the action of light alone, and are not produced by some leger-de-main [slight of hand] of Art.”
Top left: The Painted Sun: Detail: “Study of a Nude”, 1899, Charles Fondu, Belgium: (1872-1912) collotype from Sentiment D’Art en Photographie: Vol. 1, No. 4, Planche 3: 14.8 x 19.6 | 26.0 x 36.9 cm. From the volume “The Last Decade” published in 1984 by George Eastman House, this photograph is commented on: “Fondu’s woman, combination of femme fatale and omnipotent angelic female, is profiled against the sun. Like the sunflower, the sun was a popular symbol with art photography clubs. It represented photography’s necessary light as well as the inspiration, power and renewal associated with otherworldly presence.” (p. 4) Lower left: “Family in an Explosion of Light” Emery Gondor, American (b. Hungary- 1896-1977) Linoleum cut: 1925 plate from 1923 block: 20.5 x 18.8 cm impression | 28.9 x 25.0 cm. Although better known as an artist, Emery Gondor was an accomplished photographer whose work appeared in some of the largest European newspapers (principally German) from the mid 1920’s into the 1930’s. He escaped the Nazi regime, emigrating to America in 1935. This plate from his unpublished folio: “Sehnsucht nach Licht” (Yearning for Light) : “8 original Linoleum cuts by Emerich Göndör”. Right: The Sun in etched form: Detail: “Folder: Die Kunst in der Photographie” Hermann Hirzel, born Switzerland, (1864-1939) 36.0 x 26.5 cm Originally etched in 1896, Hirzel’s cover design showing a Faun playing his flute among a landscape of trees and the rising Sun was used in all issues from 1897-1903. Published between 1897-1908 by Franz Goerke in Germany, Die Kunst in der Photographie is one of the most important journals of photography ever published showcasing artistic photography from around the world. All: PhotoSeed Archive
The article continues and even gives the chemical formula for making sensitized Calotype paper that could be exposed in a camera obscura. (1.) Terminology developed rapidly from here. To differentiate in the public discourse from a painting or drawing made by hand, these new “photographs” would hence be referred to as being “From Nature.” The one constant of this wondrous invention was the Sun overhead. It alone was responsible for even making photography and photographs exist in the first place.
In the exhibition catalogue “The Last Decade” published in 1984 by George Eastman House, the symbolism of Sun imagery is discussed as part of an 1899 nude study by Belgian photographer Charles Fondu:“Fondu’s woman, combination of femme fatale and omnipotent angelic female, is profiled against the sun. Like the sunflower, the sun was a popular symbol with art photography clubs. It represented photography’s necessary light as well as the inspiration, power and renewal associated with otherworldly presence.” (p.4)
As a graphic device, the image of a Sun would be a great promoter for photographic achievement, and was common in print even through the first decade of the 20th Century.
Top: The Setting Sun: “Adieux au Soleil | Farewell to the Sun” Pierre Dubreuil, Belgian (1872-1944) Photogravure: Chine-collé: published in Die Kunst in der Photographie: 1903: Lieferung 1 | First Issue-12.2 x 24.5 | 26.3 x 35.2 cm. In 1901, Fritz Loescher, in his essay On the Pictures of P. Dubreuil, comments on this photo: The farewell to the sun is wonderful in the combination of the most artistic calculation and the favor of the moment. The dark female figure, standing on the far edge of the seashore, stretching out her arms towards the departing sun, is like the embodiment of the longing for the light. And driven by the wind, the veil from the head also blows in the same direction, and the mood of this human soul is expressed in everything to the fullest.” From: PhotoSeed Archive. Bottom: My contemporary update from 2001: “Butterfly Wings”.On Lake Worth Lagoon in Palm Beach County Florida, the wings of the most beautiful butterfly is what came to mind while the wind lifted up the silk cape being held by Ballet Florida dancer Wendy Laraghy. This photo was from a series of portraits of Ballet Florida dancers in unconventional but truly believable South Florida settings and situations. The story promoted the fact the local company, based in West Palm Beach, was turning 15 years old. Photo by David Spencer/The Palm Beach Post
I hope you enjoy these examples of artistic photographs from nature, and have included a few of my own as modern comparisons. The contrast deliberate, my very own version of “Sun & Shade”: “Butterfly Wings” was taken in the “Sunshine State” while “Condemned” hails from the depths of an upstate New York Winter.
Left: The Sun: but quite hidden on a snowy day: “Condemned” :1984, from a gelatin silver print. By David Spencer for the Daily Orange. Some of the last students of Winchell Hall, on the campus of Syracuse University in New York state, hang out on exterior balconies for the last time. The first dormitory to be constructed on campus in 1900, Winchell Hall Dormitory for Women was replaced by the Schine Student Center. Right: Setting sail into the Sunset? “Off Tilbury” Ralph Rowland Rawkins, English: (1874-1951) Mounted platinum print, from the Hand Camera Postal Club Portfolio: 1904: 14.3 x 7.1 cm print | mounts: 14.6 x 7.3 | 14.9 x 7.7 | 30.4 x 25.2 cm. Rawkins, the honorary secretary for the Postal Club based in London’s Tufnell Park, took this photograph of a sailboat silhouetted against a hazy, sunny sky in September, 1904. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Even in our current digital age, the Sun, giver of all life, continues to make photography possible by giving complex machines the illumination necessary to record our everyday existences and its many hues, shapes and wonders. But it’s a layered argument, the Sun being symbolic as well. Take my last photograph in this post. It’s the winter of 1983 (2.) and my assignment for The Daily Orange student newspaper was to photograph the final residents of the old Winchell Hall dormitory on campus, soon to face the wrecking ball. A snowstorm, as was common on a Syracuse winter day back then, was in full force. Stage directing the scene from across the street while somehow convincing the students to all climb out onto their respective room balconies was actually the easy part. What I didn’t anticipate were all the smiles that erupted, the finger pointing and general merriment the act of taking the photograph brought about. Sure, the old building was coming down to be replaced by a bright new shiny object, but these students had been forever immortalized in a photograph. And a truthful one at that: an unmanipulated moment where their futures were truly bright, and one where future dreams would surely include many bright tomorrows.
I may have actually photographed this scene in mid January, 1984. From the SU archives: “While in the process of being demolished to make room for the building of Schine Student Center, a fire, possibly arson, swept through Winchell in early February 1984 and hastened the venerable structure’s end. in early 1984.” Read more about the history of Winchell Hall.
It’s been ten years since this archive delved into Scottish photography, with our post: The Permanence of Disruption, which looked into the first use of photography on a large scale as the basis for a painting.
David Octavius Hill: Scotland (1802-70) “Edinburgh Old and New”, oil on panel, about 1846-7: The National Galleries of Scotland. This work shows the expanse of Edinburgh looking down from the perspective of Edinburgh Castle overlooking the city. Curators state that photography was central to the panoramic effect achieved in the work: “Hill was a pioneer of photography, with his associate Robert Adamson (1821-1848). He used their experiments with this new technology to inform several aspects of the painting. To achieve the panoramic effect, he merged a series of photographic views taken from the Mons Meg Battery of Edinburgh Castle.”
The artist of this work, David Octavius Hill, (1802-70) Secretary of the Royal Scottish Academy of Fine Arts in Edinburgh, used hundreds of portraits done in partnership with his employee, the calotype photographer Robert Adamson, a chemist born in St. Andrews, (1821-1848) as the basis for his 1843 “Disruption” painting.
In 1868 this marble “heroic” portrait bust of pioneering Scottish artist and photographer David Octavius Hill (1802-70) was executed in marble by the artist’s second wife Amelia Robertson Hill. Its shown here at the National Galleries of Scotland Portrait Gallery as part of the exhibit: “HEROES & HEROINES – IDEALISM AND ACHIEVEMENT IN THE VICTORIAN AGE”. Photo by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive
Taking 23 years to complete, the work marked the occasion of Scottish religious free will: the schism known as the Disruption, which took place at Edinburgh’s Tanfield Hall in 1843. This is when the First General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland signed the Act of Separation and Deed of Demission from the Church of Scotland.
At sunset, visitors photograph themselves in front of the light-washed Edinburgh Castle, a popular tourist attraction in the city’s Old Town section, which dates back to the 11th Century. Located 260 ft above its surrounding landscape, this Castle Rock edifice can claim to have been “the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world”- and it is certainly one of the most photographed landmarks in Scotland. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
The occasion for this post? A long overdue visit to where this painting was executed- Edinburgh, Scotland, with a day-long tour of the Scottish Highlands rounding out my visit: a week that included quality time with my aunt- my late father’s kid sister- outside Newcastle.
“Edinburgh Castle”, by John Bell, English: 1920-64. Print ca. 1960-64. Trichrome gum bichromate print: 13.5 x 22.1 cm on irregular manila card mount 18.9 x 28.1 cm. Bell, made a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society in 1956, was an active member of the Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union representing the Blackburn Camera Club, Accrington. His obituary stated he became interested in pictorial photography in his 20s, but died tragically young, the victim of an automobile accident while stopping to save others involved in a collision while in route to London. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Photograph of Edinburgh, Scotland at Dusk taken from the Mound. Shown illuminated in foreground is the National Galleries of Art building, with the Burns monument silhouetted at background right. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
The last time I visited Scotland was more than 40 years ago- a memorable Glasgow visit with fellow University photography students. Camera always in hand, I seem to remember my young deluded self becoming rapturous while taking photographs of a skeleton smoking a cigarette displayed by students at the Glasgow School of Art for some kind of exhibition, as well as visiting the original Willow Tearooms, designed by famed architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, then newly refurbished in 1983, the year I visited.
“City of Edinburgh”, Thomas Annan, Scottish, 1829-1887. Albumen print: 8.0 x 8.3 cm, pasted on leaf: 18.6 x 14.9 cm. Included as plate in 1866 volume: Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field, by Sir Walter Scott, Bart. London: A.W. Bennett. Photographed from Edinburgh Castle, this view shows the current National Galleries of Scotland main building in foreground. At far left is Princes Street, with the Scott Memorial at left background and Waverly train station directly behind the National building. From: PhotoSeed Archive
But this time, a thorough exploration of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, as well as the Scottish Highlands, were in store. With the magisterial Edinburgh Castle, located high atop Castle Rock, seemingly looming over all of the capital, it soon became evident this city would put San Francisco to shame in the department of hilly streets. So with my wife’s bemusement and a bit of whimpering on my part, a massive amount of rocky stair climbing would soon become part of our daily routine as we explored the city’s Old Town neighborhoods in particular.
Left: “Sir Walter Scott’s Monument”, George Washington Wilson, Scottish, 1823-1893. Albumen print: 10.2 x 7.8 cm, pasted to ruled and titled leaf: 21.9 x 17.9 cm. Shown from the perspective of Princes St. in Edinburgh, this plate was included in the 1866 volume: Photographs of English and Scottish Scenery, by G.W. Wilson, Aberdeen: Edinburgh. 12 Views. London: A. Marion, Son, & Co. From: PhotoSeed Archive. Right: A bicyclist makes his way along Princes Street tram tracks, with the soaring Scott Memorial monument in background. Designed by George Kemp, the foundation of the monument was laid in August, 1840 and completed in 1844. A large marble statue of Scott, seated, along with his favorite dog Bevis, are underneath the monuments canopy. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
The first order of business in Edinburgh was to pay a visit, in person, to see the “Disruption” painting by Hill. I had tried to do basic research before the trip- where it was displayed, etc. but did not really have specific details, other than an address on “The Mound”, located on the periphery of the city’s medieval Old Town.
Left: Endpage inscription: “Given to Laurence George Frank Gordon (1864-1943) on his Birthday- by his Grandpapa in consequence of his having evinced (?) so much interest in the poem of Marmion.” Signed? Frogmore Cottage May 21, 1868. Contained within volume: Right: title page: Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field, by Sir Walter Scott, Bart. London: A.W. Bennett, 1866. With pasted arched-top albumen print photograph of Scott’s Monument at Edinburgh by Thomas Annan, Scottish, 1829-1887. 8.1 x 8.1 cm, pasted on leaf: 18.6 x 14.9 cm. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Left: Volume Cover: stamped: PHOTOGRAPHS By G.W. Wilson. EDINBURGH. from volume: “Photographs of English and Scottish Scenery, by G.W. Wilson, Aberdeen: Edinburgh. 12 Views.” 1866: London: A. Marion, Son, & Co. Right: “Old Town, From Princes Street”, albumen print: 10.7 x 7.8 cm, pasted to ruled and titled leaf: 21.9 x 17.9 cm. The individual plates in the volume are accompanied by a descriptive letterpress leaf. This particular example: THE OLD TOWN, From Princes Street. “The Old Town of Edinburgh presents many rare and valuable objects of interest to every true Scotchman. High Street, its principal thoroughfare, (Known as the Royal Mile-editor) extends from the Castle to Holyrood, and is replete with historical associations of times gone by.”…From: PhotoSeed Archive
Left: Carte de visite (cdv) backstamp: Archibald Burns Photographer Edinburgh. 10.3 x 6.4 cm. Right: “John Knox’s House”, Archibald Burns, Scotland: (1831-1880) Albumen print, ca. 1868: 9.4 x 6.0 cm pasted to mount 10.3 x 6.4 cm. Still standing today and built from 1490 onwards, Wikipedia states the home was “reputed to have been owned and lived in by Protestant reformer John Knox during the 16th century. Although his name became associated with the house, he appears to have lived in Warriston Close where a plaque indicates the approximate site of his actual residence.” John Knox: c. 1514- 1572. Both from: PhotoSeed Archive
Speaking into an intercom at that address, which turned out to be the Edinburgh Theological Seminary, I lucked out. Explaining my interest in seeing the painting by Hill, a lovely employee- Fiona- a painter herself as I recall-asked if we had an appointment, to which stammering and ignorance ensued on my end. But the planets aligned-no meetings were then being held in Presbytery Hall- where the painting was permanently displayed, and buzzing my wife and I up, she gave an unrushed, personal tour of the painting and the room it was displayed in.
Known as the “Disruption” painting and owned by the Free Church of Scotland, this massive painting (Oil on canvas, 154 × 347 cm) was executed by the Scottish artist and photographer David Octavius Hill between 1843-66. It commemorates the gathering of the First General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland signing the Act of Separation and Deed of Demission from the Church of Scotland in May of 1843. On permanent display in Presbytery Hall at Edinburgh Theological Seminary, it depicts 457 people of the approximately 1500 present on May 23rd of that year-many who later sat for their photographic portraits by the team of Hill and his partner Robert Adamson- photographs used as the basis by Hill for this Disruption painting- historically significant as the first large scale use of photography for the basis of a painting. Complete name of work: “The First General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland; Signing the Act of Separation and Deed of Demission at Tanfield, Edinburgh, 23 May 1843.” Photo of Disruption painting taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
After befuddled coffee ordering- the “Americano” seems to approximate Dunkin’, but without the cream and sugar- the highlight of one full morning in Edinburgh was a visit to the “National”, the main gallery building of the National Galleries of Scotland. It’s located near Princess Street Gardens, and directly over the underground railroad tracks for nearby Waverly Station. (an 1866 photograph by Thomas Annan showing the building can be seen with this post)
In this detail of the “Disruption” painting by David Octavius Hill, the photographer Robert Adamson (1821-1848) is seen at center of composition focusing his wooden box camera towards ministers and others who are standing at a central table (not shown) while signing the deed of demission. Directly above Adamson is the artist Hill holding his quill and a sketch pad. In reality, Hill the artist was in attendance for the signing but Adamson was not. Only later upon the suggestion of David Brewster did Hill hire Adamson for the task of taking hundreds of portraits- both individually and in groups, which formed the basis of the painting. The fact Hill painted Adamson into the painting later after he died in 1848 is a great tribute to his friend and an acknowledgment of the role of photography had in the work’s creation. Photo of Disruption painting taken October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
Free, this is a world-class museum showcasing International and Scottish art from 1300-1945, and I was delighted to encounter an original oil painting done by David Octavius Hill ca. 1846-47. Titled “Edinburgh Old and New”, the work shows the expanse of Edinburgh looking down from the castle.
Left: A chalk on paper portrait of sculptress Amelia Robertson Hill, (1820-1904) by Alexander Blaikley on display at the National Galleries of Scotland Portrait Gallery. The second wife of artist/photographer David Octavius Hill, her initials appear on the frame of the “Disruption” painting along with her husbands signature, showing her late-stage involvement in getting the work completed. Curators include the following commentary: “From the early 1860s until the mid-1880s, she exhibited more than 60 sculptures, mainly portraits, at exhibitions in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London and Dublin. Her most important commissioned work is the statue of David Livingstone in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. In 1862, she married the painter and pioneer photographer David Octavius Hill. Their marriage was described as one of mutual companionship in art.” Right: A later photogravure (ca. 1916) by James Craig Annan from a calotype negative (ca. 1843-47) of the landscape, genre painter and photographer David Octavius Hill. (1802-1870) Combined photos taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
I’ve used a photo of the painting as the first picture in this post. Curators at the National helpfully include on the informational wall descriptor that photography was central to the panoramic effect achieved in the work: “Hill was a pioneer of photography, with his associate Robert Adamson (1821-1848). He used their experiments with this new technology to inform several aspects of the painting. To achieve the panoramic effect, he merged a series of photographic views taken from the Mons Meg Battery of Edinburgh Castle.”
In this detail of the “Disruption” painting by David Octavius Hill, the massive amount of public interest in the de-coupling from the Church of Scotland at Tanfield Hall where the signing of the Act of Separation and Deed of Demission took place is represented by these spectators peering down from an open skylight. In a later “key” to those present in the painting, drawn up by Hill in 1866 and held by the National Galleries of Scotland, these souls looking down are unnamed. Interestingly, an updated engraved key done around 1868 shows an additional figure drawn in (later painted) at the far left of the open doorway below the skylight. Its been inferred this added figure is photographer Thomas Annan, who in 1868 copied the Disruption painting and made carbon photographic enlargements that year. Photo of Disruption painting taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
Triptych of the Rev. Dr. Thomas Chalmers: (1780-1847) minister, social reformer, leader & first Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland Assembly, Principal of New College, Edinburgh: Left: Pasted carbon print: ca. 1916: 15.2 x 11.1 cm: Jesse Bertram: after original ca. 1843 calotype by Hill & Adamson. (PhotoSeed Archive) Middle: Detail of Chalmers at top with open book moderating assembly- part of “Disruption” painting by David Octavius Hill- work executed 1843-66. Right: Stained glass panel of Thomas Chalmers, signed 1862 by James Ballantine and Son: part of a larger window depicting 12 church pioneers (including early reformer John Knox and Henry Moncreiff-Wellwood, a baronet and minister in the Church of Scotland) on display in Presbytery Hall opposite the “Disruption” painting at Edinburgh Theological Seminary, the Mound. Composite photographs by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
Top: “Greyfriars’ Churchyard, a group of monuments including the Paton and Chalmers Monuments, with Heriot’s Hospital in the Background.” David Octavius Hill, Scottish: 1802-1870 & Robert Adamson, Scottish: 1821-1848. Salted paper print, 14.50 x 19.80 cm. Accession number: PGP HA 2271. National Galleries of Scotland. Online digital reproduction courtesy National Galleries of Scotland. Bottom: Today, the approximate site showing the two memorials Hill & Adamson photographed in 1843. Greyfriars Kirkyard, a cemetery dating to 1561-62 surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh is a popular tourist attraction. At left is the monument of Elizabeth Paton (wife of John Cunningham) (d. 1676), and the Chalmers monument at right dates to 1675: erected to the memory of James Chalmers Esq. by his son Thomas. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive.
So its nice to learn photography really did inform Hill’s painting, not just in his “Disruption” work. We soon headed over to the National Galleries of Scotland Portrait Gallery, where I had been hopefully informed by a National employee that photography was actually on display. This is not always the case in museums. Knowing Scotland does not have a dedicated national gallery for photography highlighting Scottish achievements, (1.) the Portrait gallery was a good bet.
“The Bird Cage”( Misses Watson) David Octavius Hill, Scottish: 1802-1870 & Robert Adamson, Scottish: 1821-1848. Silver bromide print: 22.6 x 16.8 pasted to impressed card mount:35.8 x 29.4 cm. This may be a rare test print made by Scottish photographer James Craig Annan which he later produced as a hand-pulled photogravure and published in Camera Work 28, in 1909. A fine example of genre work produced by the photographic duo. (another example: Harry Ransom Center: Accession Number: 964:0062:0011) From: PhotoSeed Archive
The first wonderful thing I saw, besides many busts of eminent Scotsmen, was a striking marble head of Hugh Miller, (1802-1856) an intellectual of Victorian Scotland whom I recognized from a book photograph taken by Hill & Adamson in my library. Miller was originally a stonemason who went on to be a geologist, pioneering journalist and champion of the Free Church of Scotland. Nearby, the gallery helpfully included in a display case a later carbon print (Jessie Bertram?) of Miller printed from the original 1843 calotype negative.
Left: A view of the main building for the National Galleries of Scotland with Princes Street gardens in foreground and Edinburgh Castle in background. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive. Right: Detail: “Edinburgh Castle”, George Washington Wilson, Scottish, 1823-1893. Albumen print: 10.6 x 7.9 cm, pasted to ruled and titled leaf: 21.9 x 17.9 cm. Included with 1866 volume: “Photographs of English and Scottish Scenery, by G.W. Wilson, Aberdeen: Edinburgh. 12 Views.” London: A. Marion, Son, & Co. The main building for the National Gallery is at far left of frame. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Top: A wall display for “Images of Italy 1480-1900” at the National Library of Scotland prominently features Scottish photographer James Craig Annan’s “White Friars”, taken in Italy in 1894. This is an early example of stop-movement photography made by Annan with a hand-held camera. Annan went to Italy in 1894 with Scottish artist David Young Cameron RA. (1865-1945) Both collaborated on making photographs and etchings of similar subjects, including these monks. Annan would go on to produce the 1896 portfolio Venice and Lombardy. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive. Bottom: “Naples,. 1863.” Gouache on paper by unknown Italian School painter: 15.3 x 23.00 cm, pasted to album leaf: 19.0 x 23.0 cm. This is an example of a fine souvenir image done in the “vedute style”- a landscape or city view that is mostly topographical- having origins in the 18th-century paintings of Canaletto and Luca Carlevaris in Venice. This type of work was featured in the “Images of Italy” exhibit at the National Library. Contained within a family and “Grand Tour” album belonging to Major William Henry Carleton: 1831-1909, who served with distinction in the Scottish Highland regiment 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers. From: PhotoSeed Archive
But then things got better. When was the last time you encountered a marble bust on display of a famous photographer, who also happened to be an artist? And from 1868? Certainly, in my estimation, the Scottish people are historically way ahead of the curve when it comes to acknowledging the genius of photography! And not to leave the female gender absent, the wall card informs us the artist behind the sculpture was none other than Hill’s second wife, Amelia Robertson Hill. In fact, scholars have now credited her with helping her husband complete the Disruption painting by 1866. Included as part of the Portrait galleries (semi-permanent?) exhibition: HEROES & HEROINES – IDEALISM AND ACHIEVEMENT IN THE VICTORIAN AGE, Robertson Hill’s ““heroic” bust shows Hill wearing classical drapery rather than contemporary dress-furthering an immortalization and lasting impression for the ages of a real photographic innovator.
One of the photographic highlights of the “Images of Italy 1480-1900” exhibition at the National Library of Scotland was this collected portfolio titled “Macpherson’s Photographs Rome”. Opened to the index at left, it lists 191 different views available for purchase directly from the photographer’s Rome studio, including “The Forum of Trajan, Rome”, (cat. #20) at right. Robert Macpherson (1814-72) was born in Dalkeith, south of Edinburgh. The display card notes Macpherson: “Like many early photographers,…was initially an artist before turning to photography in 1851. Although based in Rome, Macpherson also took images of the surrounding countryside.” Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive. Bottom: Another example of one of Macpherson’s Photographs of Rome from this archive: “Arch of Constantine” (North facade) albumen silver print: 31.1 x 41.0 cm, mounted to primary support: 40.3 x 50.3 cm, with the artist’s blindstamp (trimmed) and 2. in graphite corresponding to index. From: PhotoSeed Archive
In the library at the Portrait gallery, I happened upon the volume A Perfect Chemistry: Photographs by Hill and Adamson, (Anne M. Lyden: National Galleries of Scotland: 2018) which helpfully reproduced several photographs by the duo taken in Edinburgh’s Greyfriars Kirkyard, and so I was off to see if I could find remains of some of the memorials shown in the early 1840s photographs. The library itself holds the world’s largest collection of Hill and Adamson’s photographs, with most digitized and accessible- a remarkable resource for those looking to do further research. As of this writing, The Scottish National Portrait Gallery has 6,154 artworks: original and later prints, calotype negatives, drawings and paintings by the Hill & Adamson, with 5,809 of these with images online.
Engineering and other marvels were seen, some from afar, during my Scotland visit, as well as one outside Newcastle, England- in honor of a visit to see where my father spent his boyhood and where my grandfather and his father made their living in the steel works along the river Tyne. Left: The Queensferry Crossing (bridge) from a speeding van heading to the Scottish Highlands: opened in 2017, the Crossing, at 1.7 miles long, “is the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world.” (scotland.org). (David Spencer-PhotoSeed Archive) Middle: Nearby the Crossing is the Forth Bridge, seen here 20 years after it opened in 1890. Wikipedia notes the bridge “is considered a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland’s greatest man-made wonder in 2016), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was designed by English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker. Photograph by Frank G. Ensenberger, American: (1879-1966) bromoil print, 1910: 7.6 x 12.2 cm on mount: 27.0 x 22.3 cm. (PhotoSeed Archive) Right: The “Angel of the North” (1998) in Gateshead, England, by sculptor Sir Antony Gormley, is believed to be the largest sculpture of an angel in the world. It honors the regions industrial past, including coal mining and steel making. It is 66’ tall with a wingspan of 177’, larger than that of a Boeing 757 aircraft. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive
It took a while, admittedly distracted by Greyfriars Bobby, the churchyard’s celebrity resident, now permanently lying at rest but helpfully alive in perpetuity nearby as a bronze statue. Similar to accessible memorials everywhere sporting touchable appendages: think- Abe Lincoln’s very shiny nose in Oakridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL- Bobby’s nose is equally bright- worn down by all those seeking good luck. At least for me, the act was infinitely easier than my experience 40 years ago as a student lying on my back kissing the Blarney Stone. The legend goes that Bobby, believed to be a long-haired Skye Terrier, guarded his owner’s grave in the Kirkyard for 14 years after his owner died in 1858, and after his own passing in 1872 was buried near his owner’s grave. But I digress. Soon, with the help of my amused wife, we found the remains of the Paton and Chalmers Monuments I saw in the book photographed by Hill & Adamson in 1843. Much weathered, I could not line up a modern day perspective due to a large tree and other changes in the topography, but a reasonable view was captured.
Although a personal visit did not occur on our trip to the Scottish Highlands, my wife and I spied Stirling Castle going, I believe, a bit above the posted speed limit-apologies for the whizzing sheep in foreground. Sitting atop an intrusive crag here on the horizon, Stirling dates from at least the early 12th century, with the present buildings mostly built between 1490 and 1600, and is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. Photo by Shannon O’Brien
“Stirling Castle”, James Craig Annan, Scottish: 1864-1946, hand-pulled tissue photogravure 15.0 x 21.8 | 20.0 x 28.0 cm on mount 21.0 x 30.2 cm. Published, 1907: Camera Work 19. Mary, Queen of Scots, was crowned at Stirling Castle, and Before the union with England, the castle was also one of the most used of the many Scottish royal residences, very much a palace as well as a fortress. From: PhotoSeed Archive
While researching Scottish photographers and Edinburgh, I realized I owned some photographically illustrated volumes featuring the city taken by Scottish native sons George Washington Wilson: born in Alvah, Banffshire: 1823-1893, and Thomas Annan: born in Dairsie, Fife: 1829-1887. These latter works were included in an 1866 edition of the narrative poem Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field, written by Edinburgh poet Sir Walter Scott, (1771-1832) whose magnificent 200’ tall memorial- believed to be the largest dedicated to a writer- is a city landmark located just outside the Waverly train station, itself appropriately named after his groundbreaking historical Waverly novels.
Before heading to the Scottish Highlands, I thought it might be interesting to contrast work on display in the National Galleries of Scotland with my own visual record. This is a detail of artist Peter Graham’s (1836-1921- born Edinburgh) magnificent oil painting “Wandering Shadows”, from 1878. From the wall card: …the work “exemplifies the romantic vision of the Scottish Highlands at its peak. Its grand scale matches the breathtaking nature of the scenery. Graham specialised in remote, uninhabited views, often veiled by mist and featuring dramatic light effects. His successful formula drew on the earlier paintings of Horatio McCulloch as well as the writings of Sir Walter Scott. It was also based on a close observation of nature. Graham’s Highland landscapes proved highly popular and were regularly reproduced.” (photo of painting by David Spencer)
I may not have captured mist or sheep in my version of Graham’s painting, but early morning light as well as a few hikers were evident in this idyllic scenic captured near the village of Ballachulish, Glencoe, in Western Scotland. We covered a lot of ground and history on this day trip, thanks to our guide Kieran from Rabbie’s, (highly recommended) with this snap done through the window of our our speedy passenger van. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive
In a chance visit to the National Library, I stumbled on the exhibit “Images of Italy”, which showcased work by the important Scottish photographers Robert Macpherson (born Dalkeith, Scotland: 1814-72) and James Craig Annan, a favorite of this archive. (born Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland: 1864-1946) I’ve uploaded several examples of their work, including Annan’s famous view of Stirling castle outside Edinburgh.
“The Herdsman”, Charles E. Walmsley (1862-1941) English. 1911, carbon print: 19.2 x 24.2 cm mount: 19.5 x 24.5 cm. Published originally as a photogravure plate in William Wordsworth’s Complete Poetical Works. (Vol. VI The Excursion) A note on this illustration states: “A Herdsman on the lonely mountain-tops.” “Frequently the shepherd finds a sheep with a broken leg or otherwise hurt. It is carried home and tended with great care. Sometimes the broken limb is set on the spot.” From the Electric Scotland website, we learn more about the metaphorical representation Wordsworth has cast this shepherd as “the wanderer” : “the striking delineation which Wordsworth has given of the early surroundings of his ‘Wanderer,’ and the circumstances that moulded his character, special stress is laid on the clerical influence which from infancy had guarded this son of the Braes of Athol.” From Ambleside, Charles Ezekiel Walmsley lived most of his life in Prospect Cottage. His working life was spent as a landscape photographer capturing images of the Lake District’s villages and fells. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Left: (inset) We did manage to see a few long-horned Highland cattle on our short trip, but none grazing in the Scottish wilds. A Scottish breed of rustic cattle, Wikipedia notes the breed “originated in the Scottish Highlands and the Western Islands of Scotland and has long horns and a long shaggy coat. It is a hardy breed, able to withstand the intemperate conditions in the region. The first herd-book dates from 1885; two types – a smaller island type, usually black, and a larger mainland type, usually dun – were registered as a single breed. It is reared primarily for beef, and has been exported to several other countries.” This big guy looks out from his enclosure from a farm store in Perthshire. (David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive) Right: “Bull or Cow in Scottish Highlands” : H.Y. Summons, English: gelatin silver holiday card, 1944: 7.9 x 10.2 cm within folder 17.2 x 22.5 cm. From: PhotoSeed Archive
A photograph of the John Knox house in Edinburgh by Archibald Burns from my collection, who was based in the city from the early 1850s, (b. 1831-1880) is one of 8 Carte de visite albumen views in this archive included with this post. Interestingly, both Thomas Annan and Burns took up residence and trade in the former photographic studio known as Rock House, previously home to Robert Adamson and then D.O. Hill.
We of course learned about the familial Scottish clans and their many feuds on our trip to the Highlands, but also of Scotland’s military prowess. As luck would have it, this archive owns a few Crimean War salt prints featuring a famed Scottish regiment. Left: “Band 21st (Royal North British) Fusiliers. Crimea 1855.” James Robertson, English: 1813-88) salted paper print cut in halves from original: top: 10.9 x 14.3 cm, bottom: 10.8 x 14.2 cm on album leaf 23.0 x 19.0 cm. Contained within a family and “Grand Tour” album belonging to Major William Henry Carleton: 1831-1909, who served with distinction in the (then named) Scottish regiment 21st Royal North British Scots Fusiliers Regiment of Foot . Another example, uncut: Royal Collection Trust: RCIN 2500655. Right: “21st Fusiliers Crimea. 1856.” James Robertson, attributed: salted paper print: 12.2 x 17.6 cm on album leaf 19.0 x 23.0 cm. . Carleton’s obituary: “The death is announced as having taken place on December 26 at Raveagh, County Tyrone, (Ireland) of Major William Henry Carleton, late of the 21st Foot (Royal Scots Fusiliers). Major Carleton served with his regiment throughout the Eastern campaign of 1854-55, including the battles of Alma, Balaclava, and Inkerman, and the siege and fall of Sevastopol. He received for his services the medal with four clasps, the Turkish medal, and was nominated a Knight of the Legion of Honour. He retired from the Army in 1870.” From: PhotoSeed Archive
I’ve included examples of both Annan’s work here, along with a few earlier Crimean war salt prints depicting members of the famed Scottish regiment 21st Royal North British Fusiliers.
Top: This still life, most likely taken by an English photographer, is a later albumen silver print from the post Crimean War era. (1860-70) It shows a composition of two crossed battle-scarred flags in background-perhaps Crimean War relics, with an elaborate silver trophy at center placed on a large drum of the Royal North British Fusiliers. At left and right are smaller drums for the Royal Scots Fusiliers, as well as a Rams head with horns at front. In 1877, the Royal “North British” designation was dropped and the 21st regiment became known as the 21st (Royal Scots Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. Further information is welcomed. Photograph: 14.6 x 16.7 cm on album leaf 23.0 x 19.0 cm. Contained within a family and “Grand Tour” album belonging to Major William Henry Carleton: 1831-1909, who served with distinction in the then Scottish regiment 21st Royal North British Fusiliers. From: PhotoSeed Archive. Bottom: The later achievements of Scottish troops fighting in World War II can be seen in The Commando Memorial, located in Lochaber, Scotland. Unveiled by the Queen Mother in September 1952, it’s dedicated to the memory of all Commandos who gave their lives in the service of Scotland during the 1939-1945 War. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive
These were taken by British great James Robertson, (1813-88) and various other nuggets unearthed to celebrate the Highlands themselves: some of the most remarkable scenery I was able to visit firsthand.
Southwest of Inverness, aboard the Spirit of Loch Ness, “Nessie”, the cryptozoological nomad of the second deepest loch in Scotland, is briefly seen—or at least partly emerges from the loch surface due to some careful alignment with my iPhone. Fun fact: 755’ at its deepest point, Loch Ness contains more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. Although sightings go all the way back to 565 AD, when the Irish monk Saint Columba encountered a “water beast” at the loch, that wonderful medium of photography can be blamed for modern day interest, fueled by “evidence”- the best known being the so-called “surgeon’s photograph” of 1934. Originally published in the Daily Mail newspaper on April 21, 1934, it carried the claimed authorship of Robert Kenneth Wilson. Local shopkeepers seem happy, as visitors from around the world continually descend on the area, including yours truly. Photo taken in October, 2024 by David Spencer for PhotoSeed Archive
I hope you may be inspired by these examples of historical Scottish photography and artwork going back to the early 1840’s, as well as my modern day snaps, in order to inspire, give insight, and make you want you to learn more about Scotland in general. So plan a visit yourself, to a fiercely independent nation whose motto: “Nemo Me Impune Lacessit” translates to “No one provokes me with impunity.”
My timing was not perfect to the Portrait gallery, as I learned the opening of an exhibit celebrating 40 Years of Scotland’s Photography Collection would open the following week of my visit. Including a stunning series of New Haven fishwives photographs (calotypes) by Hill & Adamson taken in the early to mid 1840s, the exhibit is described: “highlights from the nation’s world-class collection of over 55,000 photographs. Find famous faces, gems of early Scottish photography and new acquisitions which push the boundaries of photography.”
A little over seven years ago, this archive finally acquired the monumental European portfolio Nach der Natur, (After Nature) published in Berlin in early 1897.
Detail: Gold-Stamped Cover title for Portfolio “Nach der Natur”. Photographische Gesellschaft in Berlin, 1897: 49.8 x 37.0 x 2.2 cm. Blue fabric cloth over boards. Translated: AFTER ◦ NATURE PHOTOGRAVURES AFTER ◦ ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS ◦ BY AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS PUBLISHED ◦ BY THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY BERLIN. . With Forward by Franz Goerke & essay by Richard Stettiner. The folio consists of 32 hand-pulled photogravures: 25 individual plates and a further 7 reproduced within the letterpress. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Composed of 32 sumptuous hand-pulled photogravure plates, I learned it was considered a cornerstone to any important collection of artistic photography when first reading about it almost 25 years ago. And, as persistence can sometimes pay off, a Dresden antiquarian bookseller listed the folio, along with other titles, appearing in my inbox in March of 2017. The portfolio itself is the artistic historical record for Berlin’s 1896 International Exhibition of Amateur Photography (Internationalen Ausstellung für Amateur-Photographie) held in the Reichstag building, the German government’s legislative headquarters, which had newly opened two years prior in mid 1894.
Approximately 580 exhibitors took part from around the world, with one reviewer commenting that other than the scientific entries, in terms of mounted photographs: “there may have been several thousand of them”. The exhibition had the support of Victoria, Empress of Germany and Queen of Prussia, the first born child of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: a chip off the proverbial block per chance? It’s well known Albert had a passion for employing early photography to document the British Royal family.
On September 3, 1896, Berlin, Germany’s Reichstag building, shown here around 1895, opened its ornate entrances on September 3, 1896 to host the International Exhibition of Amateur Photography (Internationalen Ausstellung für Amateur-Photographie). Over 580 exhibitors from around the world took part and 26,000 visitors attended the salon during the months of September and October 1896. Today the Reichstag is home to the German federal parliament, known as the Bundestag. Photo source: Grüße aus Berlin und Umgebung. Verlag Kunstanstalt W. Sommer, Berlin-Schöneberg 1898
Due to this work being an important influence on the perception of photography as art in the public discourse during the last years of the 19th century, I’ve dedicated some time in pulling contemporary reviews for the exhibition, and have further translated the entirety of the letterpress for the portfolio, along with acknowledgements, etc. from editor Franz Goerke and the main portfolio essay penned by Richard Stettiner. I will continue my thoughts at the conclusion of this post on the importance of the photogravure plates from this work and how it influenced Alfred Stieglitz in America, with the baton first taken up by Goerke- an important proponent of the photogravure process. Goerke had shown a series of mounted photogravures at the exhibition- logically continuing his favored reproduction process by assembling Nach der Natur as a remembrance of it. But first, some contemporary excerpts laying out differing perceptions of the 1896 Berlin exhibition by the German photographic press:
1845: The future Empress Friedrich, German Empress and Queen of Prussia (1840-1901) is shown at left seated with her mother, Queen Victoria (1819-1901) of the United Kingdom. The Empress was the official patron for the 1896 Berlin amateur photographic exhibition, with the 1897 portfolio “Nach der Natur” dedicated to her. Carbon print c.1889-91 by Hughes & Mullins from an original 1845 daguerreotype. This is probably the earliest photographic likeness of the Queen and the Princess Royal. Photograph: Royal Collection Trust: RCIN 293131
Observations: The German Photographic Press (translated)
Photographische Mitteilungen, Berlin: October, 1896: reviewer Paul Hanneke:
⎯ On September 3rd, the international exhibition for amateur photography opened in the new Reichstag building. The choice of location is certainly a very fortunate one, because as a sight in Berlin, it already exerts a certain attraction on the public. The rooms made available for the photography exhibition are on the first floor and are large enough to be able to arrange the numerous pictures etc. received in a clear order. Unfortunately, the lighting conditions are sometimes quite unfavorable, so that some beautiful pieces do not really come into their own. The exhibition itself is richly represented by all parts of the world, namely Austria, England, France and Belgium, which are countries that have participated heavily and are distinguished by their outstanding achievements, especially in artistic terms. (1.)
Left: The 1896 Official catalogue and guide of the International Exhibition for Amateur Photography Berlin, (Officieller Katalog und Führer der Internationalen Ausstellung für Amateur-Photographie Berlin 1896.) published by Rudolf Mosse, featured a cover drawing of a photographer and two farmworkers. The 112 pp. catalogue featured a frontispiece of the Reichstag, a listing of exhibits and 40 pages of advertising at the rear. Photo courtesy Antiquariat Geister, Berlin. Right: Printed in red letterpress are details that appeared opposite the title page to the portfolio “Nach der Natur” published in early 1897. Individual page: 48.5 x 35.2 cm. Translated, it reads: ALBUM ✻ OF THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION FOR AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY BERLIN 1896 ✻ PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF ✻ THE GERMAN SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF PHOTOGRAPHY ✻ AND ✻ THE FREE PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION ✻ BY ✻ FRANZ GOERKE ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Wiener Photographische Blätter, Vienna: November, 1896: reviewer Ludwig David:
⎯ Respectfully withholding commentary for work shown at the exhibition by his own club: “the Vienna School has taken its place with honor”, David gives overall thoughts and then offers criticism for individual works at the exhibition from their respective countries, England, France, Belgium, etc: “The exhibition was divided into several sections in order to keep the representations of artistic photography and those serving scientific purposes separate. The fact that the exhibition was housed in the stately, wide rooms of the new Reichstag building ensured that it was well attended, as many people were enticed to get to know the interior design and the beauties of this new building. The large number of visitors, around 26,000 people, can also be attributed to the keen interest shown in the exhibition by Berlin’s upper class.
“ln der Dämmerung | At Dusk”: 1897” Emma Justine Farnsworth, 1860-1952: American: Hand-pulled photogravure, plate #3 included within letterpress for “Nach der Natur” portfolio: 8.4 x 14.0 cm on leaf 48.5 x 35.2 cm. This photo dates to 1893, and is a variant of a better known pose she copyrighted in 1894. (where subject is not sleeping) Vienna reviewer Ludwig David commented on Farnsworth work at the 1896 Berlin exhibition: “In Emma Justine Farnsworth (Albany) we meet an excellent artist whose figure studies are surrounded by a poetic magic. When one considers that the depiction of the figurative in the natural landscape is in itself a delicate task, one must doubly admire the lyricism associated with the pictures. The good pigment prints, produced in bright colors, also give the pictures a captivating charm. “At Dusk” is the title of one of the most beautiful Chiaroscuro pictures. A young lady is resting, stretched out on a bench, just below a window formed by bull’s-eye panes; the light floods in places.” Wiener Photographische Blätter, November, 1896 p. 214. From: PhotoSeed Archive
⎯ All of the pictures that were not for scientific purposes, there may have been several thousand of them, were housed partly in the corridors, which receive their scant light from the courtyards of the building, and partly in a large domed structure that connects these corridors and has a skylight. In these rooms there was room for all the pictures that are understood under the somewhat cumbersome and tasteless name of “amateur photographs.” There was no separation of the pictures of an artistic nature from the majority of pictures that do not claim this designation.”
⎯ From America, David singles out William Boyd Post, Clarence Moore, C.R. Pancoast, Charles I. Berg, Emma Justine Farnsworth, A. Eidenmüller (St. Paul) and Alfred Stieglitz: …“a well-known master whose fame was not first established at this exhibition. Most of his pictures are no longer new either. “A wet day, with its drastic rainy mood is outstanding; “Scurrying home“, two old Dutch women walking through the countryside, is picturesque, a splendid picture printed in sepia.
“Bolton Abbey”, Charles S. Baynton, 1866-1926: English: Hand-pulled photogravure, plate #10 included within “Nach der Natur” portfolio: 15.8 x 20.7 cm on leaf 35.2 x 48.5 cm. This stunning multiple-color photogravure is surely one of the highlights of the portfolio. C.S. Baynton was an accomplished amateur photographer who specialized in architectural work. He was a long-standing member of the Birmingham Photographic Society. Located in North Yorkshire, the historical remains of Bolton Abbey (monastery) date to the middle ages. From: PhotoSeed Archive
⎯ It must be said of the exhibition itself that it has fully fulfilled its task of giving a picture of the current state of photography. The arrangers, who had to deal with an enormous amount of material, deserve credit for having handled this task in a skilful manner: among others, Dr. Neuhauss has done particularly well for the scientific department of photography, and Mr. Franz Goerke for the artistic department. The light in the exhibition room was not sufficient in all places, the pictures were often too close together and hung much too high. It would also have been advisable to separate the pictures with a painterly effect from the works that were not of the same quality and to have the admission and award jury for this section comprise only recognized artists.” (2.)
“Mlle. Cléo de Mérode”, Carle de Mazibourg, dates unknown: French: Hand-pulled photogravure, plate #8 included within “Nach der Natur” portfolio: 23.0 x 14.6 cm on leaf 48.5 x 35.2 cm. Amateur photographer Carle de Mazibourg is considered one of the very first street fashion photographers and since at least 1895 was a member of the professionally oriented Societé Française de Photographie Paris. His subject here-modeling in a Paris park, is French Belle Époque dancer Cléo de Merode. (1875-1966) Merode has been referred to as the “first real celebrity icon” and the “first modern celebrity”. She was also the first woman whose photographic image, due in particular to photographers Nadar and Léopold-Émile Reutlinger, was distributed worldwide. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Photographische Correspondenz, Vienna & Leipzig: October, 1896: Unknown reviewer(s):
⎯ Would you like a picture of the international exhibition for amateur photography in Berlin? If you call a horse a crocodile, you have used a nomenclature that is just as correct as calling this exhibition an amateur exhibition, assuming that you assume that the amateur does photography for pleasure.
It would actually be time to divide amateur photographers into two classes: amateurs who turn to the subject out of scientific interest and pursue serious studies for their own development, and dilettantes who only engage in photography per diletto, for pleasure and to pass the time. Even with this classification, the name of the exhibition would hardly be correct, because it contains universal material in which the specific arts and crafts play a large part; it shows the enormous expansion of photography in our time, of which portrait photography is only a very small individual case. Due to this versatility, one could say that the exhibition is filled with the work of professional photographers.
⎯ There is hardly an area of art and science that does not have a connection with photography. This explains the lively interest shown in this technique even in the highest circles, and which finds its most striking expression in the fact that Her Majesty the Empress Frederick has granted the exhibition her patronage.
“Grenadiers at the Watchfire”: Albert-Edouard Drains, known professionally as Alexandre: 1855-1925: Belgian: Hand-pulled photogravure, plate #12 included within “Nach der Natur” portfolio: 20.2 x 28.6 cm on leaf 35.2 x 48.5 cm. Grenadier guard soldiers, (British? French?) their swords at their side, sit around a watchfire. In addition to being a renowned pictorialist: landscapes, seascapes, studies of military life, nudes, portraits of artists, etc., Alexandre was a Photograph dealer specializing in the collotype process of reproducing paintings in the Royal Museums of Belgium. From: PhotoSeed Archive
⎯ The exhibition not only gives a picture of art and science, no, it gives a description of the world in pictures, which ranges from the mists of emerging worlds to the tiniest creatures that treacherously gnaw at the health of our bodies; and those who are prevented by unfavorable circumstances from following their urge to travel far away will find satisfaction here, because Mother Earth is presented to them from the snow-covered peaks of the highest mountains to the deepest shafts of the burrowing miners, from the islands of the South Seas circling the globe to the west, to the magnificent landscapes of California.
⎯ On the whole, the practice of platinum and pigment processes predominate. Matte collodion paper is also often used, but cannot compete with the first-mentioned processes in terms of artistic impression, not least because of the bluish cold tone of the background, which is one of the disadvantages of stencil-based photography. Pictures with a glossy surface are only found in small numbers and least of all where the artistic effect of the picture is important.
“Am Meere | By the Sea”: Rudolf Crell: 1833-1904: German: Hand-pulled photogravure, plate #12 included within “Nach der Natur” portfolio: 11.9 x 16.0 cm on leaf 35.2 x 48.5 cm. A painted seashore behind her, a woman poses for a portrait inside a studio. Rudolf Crell was known to also be a painter, so the backdrop may be by his hand. A senior teacher ,Crell lived in Altona from 1875. He was a full member of the Society for the Promotion of Amateur Photography in Hamburg from 1895 until he moved to Desau in 1898. From: PhotoSeed Archive
⎯ We now enter the round domed hall, which has an international character. We would like to call it the fermentation vat of the exhibition, because here it ripples and foams and struggles for new means of expression and creates bubbles, some of which disintegrate, while others condense into core points around which new structures arrange themselves. Here you can hear the professional photographers cry out in horror, and yet they should be able to explain why a considerable number of visitors describe these works in particular as painterly and virtuosic. Does the secessionist idea have any justification alongside the traditional art forms? It undoubtedly deserves to be examined for its causes, its nature and its relationship to the traditional. It is the absolutely unfamiliarity that has a repulsive effect on the professional photographers here. They are used to looking at the world through photographic glasses and do not believe that it looks completely different in reality. But photography is old enough that these glasses will need new lenses that are a bit sharper. A picture that is hung on the wall must not be too small and must have a different, less decorative character than a picture that is kept in an album for intimate viewing. For this reason, the large pictures at the exhibition are so much more effective than the small pictures that one has to look at with a trained eye. (3.)
“Auf der Landstrasse | On the Country Road”: Léonard Misonne: 1870-1943, Belgian: Hand-pulled photogravure, plate #22 included within “Nach der Natur” portfolio: 15.4 x 21.1 cm on leaf 35.2 x 48.5 cm. Three women gather to chat on a country road outside their village- a welcome interlude perhaps for chores begun. According to the Directory of Belgian Photographers, “Misonne’s work is characterised by a masterly treatment of light and atmospheric conditions. His images express poetic qualities, but sometimes slip into an anecdotal sentimentality.” He was nicknamed “the Corot of photography”. From: PhotoSeed Archive
Compatriots in Photogravure: Franz Goerke & Alfred Stieglitz
And who was responsible for these “sumptuous hand-pulled photogravure plates” contained in Nach der Natur? The Photographische Gesellschaft in Berlin. As I’ve noted elsewhere on this site, the proper name of this atelier is The Berlin Photographic Company. Established in 1862 in Berlin, Germany with retail and distribution branch offices located in New York, London and Paris, this large art publishing house was founded by the brothers Christian “Albert” Eduard Werckmeister, (1827-1873) an engineer and chemist, and “Friedrich” Gustav Werckmeister, (1839-1894) a painter and etcher. The concern was collectively owned and run by their younger brother Emil Werckmeister. (1844-1923) The majority of their efforts concerned the reproduction and sale of engravings and notable oil paintings by master artists in the collections of major museums and collections throughout Europe, with the permanent process of photogravure a specialty of the house.
The establishment of fine photogravure production in Europe, including the earlier noteworthy efforts of Walter L. Colls in London for his Linked Ring Salon folios and Photo Club de Paris folios by Charles Wittmann in Paris set a very high bar for the future published efforts of Franz Goerke in Berlin and Alfred Stieglitz in New York.
“Nach Hause | Home”: Alfred Stieglitz: 1864-1946, American: Hand-pulled photogravure, plate #30 included within “Nach der Natur” portfolio: 18.9 x 15.6 cm on leaf 48.5 x 35.2 cm. Dutch fishwives head for home on the beach at Katwyk, in South Holland. Best known with the title Scurrying Home, its alternate title is Hour of Prayer, the implication being they were heading to their daily ritual of the sanctuary of the church-seen in the background of the photograph. From: PhotoSeed Archive
After his publication of Nach der Natur, Goerke, (1856-1931) an important exponent of German art photography, took on the project of being editor and publisher for Die Kunst in der Photographie, (The Art of Photography) published in Berlin from from 1897-1908. Many of the hundreds of fine photogravure plates making up the run of DKIDP beginning with 1897 can be found in this archive. A founder along with others in 1889 of the Free Photographic Association in Berlin, Franz Goerke’s promotion of photography as art is summed up as part of his Preface to Nach der Natur:
“The seed has been sown by this exhibition. May it bear rich fruit. Above all, it should convince those who still see artistic photography as a useless and pointless game that there is a deep and serious desire in amateur circles to raise photography to the status of art and to place it alongside other arts.”
An amateur photographer himself, Goerke’s passion as publisher and editor certainly piqued the interest of Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) in New York, a self-taught amateur photographer whose formal education included mechanical engineering, beginning in October, 1882, when he enrolled in the all male Technical University of Berlin (Technische Hochschule) and later photochemistry at the same institution- taught by Hermann Wilhelm Vogel. (1834-1898) An authority on orthochromatic photography, Vogel became a mentor to the young Stieglitz, and he later founded the Deutsche Gesellschaft von Freunden der Photographie (German Society of the Friends of Photography) in 1887.
At the conclusion of his university studies and Continental wanderings, Stieglitz returned to the US in September, 1890 at the passing of his sister Flora. At the urging of his father Edward, he soon became involved with the business venture of photoengraving: first at the struggling Heliochrome Company in lower Manhattan, which he eventually restructured. Taking on his two former Berlin roommates Louis Schubart and Joseph Obermeyer as partners, this concern was rechristened the Photochrome Engraving Company. Photogravure was a specialty, but Stieglitz soon became involved in other ventures-first co-editing the American Amateur Photographer in 1893, ultimately rising to sole editor in January, 1895, the increased workload among his other interests giving him “the opportunity to disentangle himself from the Photochrome Engraving Company”. (4.) Even without having a direct hand in his own atelier, by the time he received his copy of the Nach der Natur portfolio in late 1897, his obvious delight and respect for the photogravure plates executed within by the Photographische Gesellschaft in Berlin under Goerke’s mindful watch gave him obvious delight. This in turn gave him reason to author a review of the portfolio in the pages of the new publication Camera Notes, the journal of the New York Camera Club. Paraphrasing, his reaction to the quality of these plates proclaimed photogravure: “the most perfect of all photographic reproduction processes.” (5.)
“Photographische Gesellschaft Berlin”: gold emblem, (5.0 x 3.9 cm) stamped on verso of cloth-covered boards for Nach der Natur portfolio. (49.8 x 37.0 x 2.2 cm) Known as the Berlin Photographic Company, this atelier, a large art publishing house, was established in 1862 in Berlin, Germany with retail and distribution branch offices located in New York, London and Paris. The permanent process of photogravure was a specialty of the house, and it was chiefly concerned with the reproduction and sale of engravings and notable oil paintings by master artists in the collections of major museums and collections throughout Europe. From: PhotoSeed Archive
The review in its entirety: “Nach der Natur” is without doubt the most elaborate and beautiful publication which has yet appeared in photographic literature.
The series of photogravures which form the bulk of the book, include pictures by the chief medallists of the Exhibition. Among the familiar names we find: Henneberg, Alexandre, Hannon, Farnsworth, Stieglitz, Le Beque, Bremard, Baynton, Esler, David, Boehmer, etc. The text, which serves as an introduction to the pictures, is an essay, which tries to prove that pictorial photography may be an art. Even if all the pictures selected may not prove the case most of them are perfect gems. The photogravures, as such, are beautiful specimens of the most perfect of all photographic reproduction processes.
The library of every photographic club should include this important work, as those interested in pictorial photography will find every phase of it well represented. A copy has been procured for the Camera Club Library. A.S. (6.)
Stieglitz would go on to publish his own portfolio of fine photogravures: Picturesque Bits of New York and Other Studies in 1897, (N.Y.: R.H. Russell) the same year Nach der Natur appeared. On the other side of the Atlantic, Goerke’s own Die Kunst in der Photographie, which should be considered the most important European publication directly inspiring the fine photogravures that soon appeared under the editorship of Stieglitz’s Camera Notes, would in turn lead him elevating the process to its apogee in the US: his groundbreaking and seminal venture Camera Work, published between 1903-17.
⎯ David Spencer October, 2024
1. Excerpt: Paul Hanneke: Internationale Ausstellung für Amateur – Photographie zu Berlin , Photographische Mitteilungen, Berlin: October, 1896: pp. 205-209/ continues: pp. 219-224; 235-37.
2. Excerpt: Ludwig David: “Die künstlerische Richtung auf der internationalen Ausstellung für Amateur-Photographie in Berlin,” Wiener Photographische Blätter, Wien: 3:11 (November 1896), pp. 201–215
3.Excerpt: “Berliner Nachrichten. September 1896.”, Photographische Correspondenz, Vienna & Leipzig: October, 1896: from unknown reviewer(s): (article signed: “Von der Hasenhaide”) pp. 471-477
4. Julia Thompson: Stieglitz’s Portfolios and Other Published Photographs: Alfred Stieglitz Key Set, NGA Online Editions, accessed September, 2024
5. Camera Notes, New York: Vol. 1, issue III: January, 1898
6. Ibid, p. 85
“Still Life” 1908 by Baron Adolf De Meyer, American. (1868-1946) Hand-pulled photogravure included with Camera Work XXIV: gravure: 19.2 x 15.6 cm | mount: 19.8 x 16.2 – 29.8 x 21.0 cm (2x: Gampi and Enfield). Two hydrangea blooms rest in a glass of water. Its speculated De Meyer was looking for a diversion from photographing people, and around 1906 began a series of flower studies like this one that are remarkable for their simplicity and radical in their composition. Right: North American big-leaf hydrangea with purple blooms displayed in green-glazed tankard by Charles Grosjean, Hog Bay Pottery, Franklin, Maine. Photograph by David Spencer| PhotoSeed Archive
This summer in the New England area, where PhotoSeed calls home, has seen copious hydrangea blooms like none in recent memory. So with juxtaposition in mind, I cracked an issue of Camera Work and brought to life for a moment one of my favorite Adolf De Meyer photographs from 1908: Still Life, featuring several limp hydrangea blooms balancing from a clear glass of water. The radical composition sucks me in every time I see this photograph and was an important marker in my own development as a young photographer- that and the stunning Jan Groover (American: 1943–2012) compositions featuring household cutlery.
Perhaps inspiration itself for the much later André Kertész photograph called “Melancholic Tulip, New York”, dating to 1939, in which a drooping bloom is photographed by Kertész (American, born Hungary 1894-1985) using a parabolic mirror- a metaphor, according to the Getty “that is also a self-portrait of the artist as a wilted flower”. Perhaps. But for me, one thing is constant in Photography: changing perspectives. Assuming a human is behind that lens, (sorry AI) photography is ever changing. Just like the weather of late and climate change in particular. The result of these factors- fleeting beauty showcased in bountiful hydrangea blooms- can be distilled from a few factors. In The Times, Hank Sanders writes on July 10, 2024 and quotes Melissa Finley, Thain Curator of Woody Plants at the New York Botanical Garden, who said that after a rainy summer and fall in 2023, a warm winter with El Niño conditions “caused very little damage to the dormant buds, leading to an explosion of blossoms now.” As for myself, I’m going to enjoy the show around these parts, which includes these glorious backyard blossoms, juxtaposed. I hope you do too.