Complete set of Fenton's Crimean War salt prints for £50 ....

[Michael Wong]

Now, now. Don't get overly excited.

That was the price paid by a shrewd Helmut Gernsheim back in 1950 for the complete set of Crimean War photographs after tracking down a desendent of Roger Fenton in a Farnborough garage. After closing the deal, he loaded the prints into the trunk of his car and referred to the purchase as quite a haul!. Four years later, Gernsheim published a book based on these 360 mounted salt prints.

This was one of Gernsheim's greatest coups of his career. Do I sound jealous?

You can read the rest of the article here.

 

Photo:  Roger Fenton. 'Camp of the 4th Dragoon Guards,' 1855.