A new photograph by William Henry Fox Talbot has been discovered in an album brought to Sotheby's for valuation. The early photogenic drawing shows a negative of a fern. Also in the album is a faded photograph showing a print which is signed by Talbot and dated 1839.
The album also contains watercolours and drawings by members of Talbot's wife's family and their circle, and will be offered in an auction on Tuesday 15 November in Sotheby's, London, sale of Travel, Atlases, Maps and Natural History.
The photograph recently came to light when the album was brought along for a valuation at Sotheby's and was subsequently inspected by Professor Larry Schaaf, director of the William Henry Fox Talbot Catalogue Raisonné, who confirmed its authenticity.
The album will be available to view at Sotheby's New Bond Street from Wednesday 9 until Friday 11 and from Sunday 13 to Monday 14 November. Details here
For further information please contact Richard Fattorini richard.fattorini@sothebys.com 020 7293 5301
Comments
Larry Schaaf's blog post on the subject is worth a look: http://foxtalbot.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/2016/11/
I see the album had an estimate of £4,000-6,000 and finally went for an eye-watering £56,250.