THE PAST IN PICTURES
Timeless oak
‘An Oak Tree in Winter’ by scientist William Henry Fox Talbot represents the beginning of modern photographic techniques
Some of the first ever photographs were inspired by nature: this image of an oak tree is one of the earliest taken using a negative. Scientist William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877) captured the image near his home – Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire – in the mid-1840s. It was one of a series of tree studies suggested by Talbot’s childhood tutor Dr George Butler, who wrote excitedly to Talbot that such images “would exhibit the touch of the great Artist, Nature”.
The calotype, Talbot’s invention, was pioneering and beautiful in its way but not as pin-sharp as some rival early techniques, such as the Daguerrotype. Today, you can visit Lacock Abbey and learn more about early photography at the Fox Talbot Museum and Gallery.
Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire SN15 2LG. nationaltrust.org.uk
