WILLIAM HENRY FOX TALBOT | 'The Pencil of Nature'

(London: Longman, Brown, Green, & Longmans, 1844-46), the complete set of six fascicles illustrated with 24 salt prints, 21 prints on mounts with hand-ruled borders, 20 numbered in an unidentified hand in pencil or ink on the mount, 3 loose; plate 1 a variant, circa 1846, and plate 2 a substitute. 4to, grey linen-backed boards, ink title on spine, inscribed 'Herbert Lambert from M. T. Talbot, August 1921' and 'N. D. Larkin. 1959.' in ink on the title, five-line 'Notice to the Reader' inserted behind the front end paper, a modern print of Window at Lacock Abbey tipped to the front free end paper. Bound without printed wrappers.

Collection of the photographer By descent to Miss Matilda Talbot, the photographer's granddaughter

Gift to Herbert Lambert, 1921

Collection of N. D. Larkin, 1959

Sotheby's Belgravia, 21 December 1971, Lot 315

The photographs are in generally good to very good condition. As is usual, the strength and richness of the tonality of the individual prints varies throughout, from faded to highly detailed and evenly saturated. Notes on the plates are listed below. Those wishing more detailed condition reports on individual specific plates are welcome to contact the Photographs Department directly. Plate 1: As is stated in the catalogue description, this print is from a variant negative, circa 1846, of the same view of Queen’s College, Oxford, as that pictured in ‘Part of Queen's College, Oxford,’ 1844. The use of two negatives for Plate 1 was due to negative degradation. The tonality is evenly diffuse, although there are areas of deeper red tones in the lower portion of the image. There is rust-colored staining on the upper and left edges of the image. The mount is numbered in ink. Plate 2: This substitute plate is a variant view from the same street in Paris as that pictured in the original plate 2 (‘View of the Boulevards at Paris,’ 1844). There is a slight waviness of the print and faint yellowing at the edges. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 3: The print is fairly saturated and retains excellent detail. There is a very thin area of yellowing and fading at the edges. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 4: While this print is somewhat diffuse, there is no particular yellowing or fading. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 5: The tonality is evenly faded and diffuse. As is visible in the catalogue illustration, there is some uneven brown discoloration at the upper and right edges of the image. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 6: There are deep, dark tones in the central portion of the image and a high level of detail is visible, including in the broom, the wooden door, and the lattice window in the background. The left and right portions of the image are more diffuse and there is with some fading at the edges. There is a slight waviness of the print. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 7: The edges are slightly darker than the central portion of the image. There is a long raised area in the image parallel to the left and right edges of the print, likely due to mounting. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 8: The tonality of the print is diffuse and fairly green overall. This plate is currently bound in with yellowed cello tape. The plate faces the incorrect direction, with the image facing the first page of text rather than the second page of text. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 9: This print is an unusually vibrant lilac-blue tonality. There is rippling along the lower and upper edges of the print. The print is lifting from the mount slightly along the middle of its right edge. This print appears to be on a repurposed mount, as there is a crossed out plate number at the upper left corner and residue from previous adhesive along the lower edge. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 10: The highest level of detail and saturation is in the central portion of the image. There is some edge fading. The plate is numbered in pencil on the mount. An unidentified hand, likely 20th century, has captioned it ‘The Haystack’ in pencil. The plate is detached from the binding. Plate 11: The tonality of the print is diffuse and fairly green overall, but there is no significant degradation of detail. It is numbered in ink on the mount. Plate 12: The image is faded overall, but the margins remain a rich, chocolate brown. The watermark of the paper reads ‘J Whatman Turkey Mill.’ The reverse is annotated in an unidentified hand ‘LA 12’ in ink. This photograph is loose and not mounted. Plate 13: It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 14: While the highlights are light, the darks of the image and the margins are a rich, chocolate brown. Upon very close inspection, an area of faint discoloration is visible in the upper portion of the image in the area of the ladder. ‘LA 14’ is written in an unidentified hand in ink on the reverse. This plate is loose and not mounted. Plate 15: There is minute yellowing and fading at the extreme edges of the image. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 16: An exceptional level of detail is visible throughout the image. There is some light yellowing and discoloration along the left, right, and lower edges. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 17: There is minute yellowing at the extreme edges. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 18: There is a high level of detail throughout and the tonality is strong. There is uneven fading which is confined to the margins. ‘LA 18’ is written in an unidentified hand in ink on the reverse. This print is on paper with a deckled edge and the print is loose, not mounted. Plate 19: This print is light in tonality. There is fading along the right and lower edges of the image. The mount appears to be trimmed approximately 1/4-inch. It is numbered in ink on the mount. Plate 20: An exceptional level of detail is visible and the tonality is generally strong. As is visible in the catalogue illustration, there is uneven fading along the edges. This plate is detached from the binding. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 21: The print is light in tonality. There is some edge fading and discoloration. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 22: Primarily at the upper and lower edges of the image there is some fading and discoloration. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. Plate 23: There is some fading at the extreme edges of the image. It is not numbered on the mount. Plate 24: This print has somewhat uneven saturation, with fading most noticeable at the edges. It is numbered in pencil on the mount. As stated in our catalogue description, the fascicles are bound together with grey linen-backed boards. While the binding remains tight, the linen backing of the spine is fraying and separating at parts. There are scuffs, some soiling, and rubbing, especially at the tips and edges, but overall the volume is in good shape. There are isolated areas of soiling from handling, stray ink deposits, liquid staining, and age-appropriate darkening on many of the mounts and leaves of text. There is occasional offsetting from the prints on the leaves of text, as well as some notations in pencil. The pages of text have been numbered sequentially in an unidentified hand in pencil. There are several blank pages bound in at the back of the volume; abrasions and annotations suggest that several additional prints, including modern prints, were previously pasted into those supplementary back pages. A newsprint clipping ('Fox Talbot and Lacock Abbey. A Page of Photographic History' by Aaron Watson) is folded and tipped to the second to last page.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Of The Pencil of Nature, pioneering curator Beaumont Newhall proclaimed, ‘[its] importance in the history of photography is comparable to that of the Gutenberg Bible in printing’ (Da Capo, unpaginated).  Issued in 6 parts (known as fascicles) between 1844 and 1846, it was the first photographically illustrated text to be commercially sold and the culmination of more than a decade of experimentation.  While Talbot originally envisioned a series of 10 fascicles with a total of 50 plates, production ceased after just 24 photographs.  Talbot selected images that best demonstrated photography’s uses and advantages – still life, topography, architecture, and reproduction – but photographs such as The Haystack and The Open Door approach refined artistry. This set of The Pencil of Nature comes originally from the collection of Miss Matilda Theresa Talbot (1871-1958), the photographer’s granddaughter.  As steward of the legacy for both Talbot and his residence, Lacock Abbey, Matilda went to great lengths to ensure that her grandfather’s lifework was preserved and distributed examples to institutions worldwide. The present copy is inscribed from Matilda to her longtime friend Herbert Lambert (1881-1936), a member of the Royal Photographic Society based in Bath.  Lambert was instrumental in securing a copy for donation from Matilda to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Unlike Talbot’s Sun Pictures in Scotland which was sold by subscription, the fascicles of The Pencil of Nature were publically available through booksellers and thus it is impossible to determine an exact number of copies produced.  The uneven tonality of the plates in most issues of The Pencil of Nature has long been discussed and many prints likely started deteriorating immediately.  Most extant fascicles are in institutional collections and there is no one ‘ideal’ copy.  According to the most recent census by Talbot scholar Larry J. Schaaf (to whom this entry is indebted), only 4 other complete (or nearly complete) sets are believed to be in private collections.  The present copy is listed in his census.  Only a handful of fascicles have appeared at auction since 1970.