28th May, 2021 14:00

Photographs (1840 - 2020)

 
  Lot 17
 

Jabez Hogg (1817-1899)

Jabez Hogg (1817-1899)

AN IMPORTANT PORTRAIT OF PROFESSOR JOHN FREDERICK GODDARD (1795-1866), c.1841-1850, Sixth plate daguerreotype, in French bevelled gilt mount, inscribed with a caption on the cover glass; "Dr. John Goddard dis. Bromine Inventor of Polariscope" (sic) with taped edges, and later manuscript label in ink, on verso reading; "Professor Jon Goddard, discoverer of the quickening effect of Bromine in the production of the Daguerreotype picture. Jabez Hogg 1. Bedford Square.

Professor Goddard is seated, with one arm resting on a side table, with a mirror placed at an angle on the table, reflecting his profile fully. This is a highly skilful and extraordinary Daguerreotype composition. The painted backdrop behind his right shoulder showing a lattice with flowers, is very similar, if not identical, in style and pattern to that used in the Daguerreotype Studio opened by Richard Beard in 34 Parliament Street, Westminster in 1842. The most notable Daguerreotype from this studio featured Jabez Hogg taking a photograph of an American entrepreneur named Mr Johnson. This image is widely regarded as the first-ever image of a photographer. It was originally offered for sale at Sotheby's in 1977, selling for a then, record sum of £5800 hammer to a German buyer. It later changed hands, and can now be viewed for comparison, in the Kodak Gallery of the Science & Media Museum, Bradford, England. The image offered for sale here, was originally reproduced in John Werge’s The Evolution of Photography (Piper & Carter, 1890), facing p.27. and credited to Hogg in the introduction. It has otherwise, never been viewed, or offered on the open market. Jabez Hogg was behind the Goddard Relief fund, established in 1863 to support Hogg in his latter years and the fund raised £374.2s.

Jabez Hogg, was born in Chatham in 1817. He trained as a physician and was an early practitioner of the Daguerreotype, ambrotype and calotype processes. His Manual of Practical Photography was published in 1843. He practiced medicine (specializing in ophthalmic surgery) for 45 years. He was best known as a pioneering microscopist. He died in 1899.

Literary Gazette; and Journal of the Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c. (London) No. 1247 (12 December 1840):

VALUABLE IMPROVEMENT IN DAGUERRÉOTYPE.

To the Editor of the Literary Gazette:

SIR,—Having been engaged for some time past in investigating the different means of preparing the plates for the action of light in photographic delineations of the daguerreotype, in the hopes of being able to render them more sensitive, the result of my experiments has been the valuable discovery, that when the bromide of iodine is used instead of the simple iodine, this very desirable object is attained in a most extraordinary degree. So delicately sensitive are the plates, when properly prepared, that the faintest lights act upon them; even on the dull, cloudy days of November, with a London atmosphere, if not too foggy, and there is sufficient light to produce a picture, it will, by a few minutes’ exposure, be delineated. I have not had an opportunity of experimenting with bright solar light since I made the discovery; but from the experience I have had in the old process during the last summer, I have no doubt that with a clear summer sun in London the effects will be almost instantaneous. With the light of the ordinary gas, a picture of a plaster bust may be obtained in three or four minutes.

I remain Sir, yours,
JOHN F. GODDARD.

This text is referenced as the first published account of the use of bromine in photography.


 

Do you have an item similar to the item above? If so please click the link below to submit a free online valuation request through our website.

 

Images*

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.