Album No 15, consists of 51 salt paper prints put together by William Henry Fox Talbot, which Talbot termed 'partial fill' as it is incomplete. It includes a range of subjects reflecting Talbot's interests in botany, classics, ancient history, architecture (cathedral project), travel and genre studies. Some of the titling is by Lady Elizabeth but there is no reason to believe that this was her personal album. It is likely that this album was used in the mode of an early Victorian scrap book and would have been brought out to visitors who came to Lacock Abbey. There is also the question of sentiment, ownership and display and these could have been private momentos taken by all the family.
A salt print from a calotype negative entitled 'Queens College and St Peter's Church', by William Henry Fox Talbot, 1842-1843. From Album No 15, consisting of 51 salt paper prints put together by Talbot, which he termed a 'partial fill' as it is incomplete.
A salt print from a calotype negative of the Hotel Canterbury, Rue de la Paix, by William Henry Fox Talbot, 1842-1843. From Album No 15, consisting of 51 salt paper prints put together by Talbot, which he termed a 'partial fill' as it is incomplete.
A page from an album showing a salted paper photograph by William Henry Fox Talbot of a table set for tea, taken circa 1842. As well as photographs of leaves and botanical specimens the album contains photographs of domestic tableaux Talbot created at his home in Lacock, Wiltshire, together with views of Oxford, Paris, Rouen and Orleans in France.
