[ABOVE] William Henry Wills (1810-1880)
The co-author of the article "Photography", which was
published in Charles Dickens' journal "Household Words" on
19th March 1853.William Henry Wills was born in Plymouth, Devon in
1810. As a journalist he contributed to a number of periodicals and
journals, including Punch magazine and Chambers Journal. In
1846, William Wills became a sub-editor on The Morning News, a
newspaper founded by the famous novelist Charles Dickens. Wills' work
on The Morning News, was the beginning of a long association with
Charles Dickens. In 1849, William Wills became a contributor and sub-editor
on "Household Words", a weekly magazine "conducted" by Charles
Dickens. The above photograph of William Wills was taken by G. Gitry (?) and
later published by the photographic engraver Emery Walker (1851-1933)
[ABOVE] Henry Forster Morley (1822-1894),
the co-author of the article "Photography", which was
published in Charles Dickens' journal "Household Words" on
19th March 1853. Although trained as a medical practitioner, Henry Morley
was primarily interested in education and literature and in the late 1840s
he established a school in Cheshire In 1851, Henry Morley accepted Dicken's
invitation to join the staff of "Household Words". Henry
Morley later became a Professor of English Literature at University College
and established a reputation as an outstanding lecturer and educator. |
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"We have been ringing
artists' bells. We have been haunting the dark chambers of
photographers. We have found those gentlemen - our modern high
priests of Apollo, the old sun god - very courteous, and not at all
desirous to forbid to the world's curiosity a knowledge of their
inmost mysteries ... |
[ABOVE ] An
early daguerreotype studio, as depicted in an engraving by George
Cruikshank in 1842. The original woodcut appeared with the title "PHOTOGRAPHIC
PHENOMENA, OR THE NEW SCHOOL OF PORTRAIT-PAINTING" in George
Cruikshank's Omnibus, published in 1842. Early photographic
studios were often situated at the very top of a building and had a
glass roof to let in as much light as possible. At the top left of the
picture, the subject sits on a posing chair placed on a raised
platform, which could be rotated to face the light. The sitter's head
is held still by a clamp. Two simple box cameras have been placed on a
high shelf, directly opposite the sitter's head. The photographer can
be seen standing on the step-ladder in the centre of the illustration.
The photographer has opened the door of the camera to expose the
sensitized metal plate to the light. The photographer examines his
watch as he times the exposure. |
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