A Scene in York
William Henry Fox Talbot
British, 1800–1877
July 28, 1845
A salted paper print by William Henry Fox Talbot that frames a quiet York street opening onto a Gothic cathedral, an early effort to fix a lived scene in the new medium of photography.
The muted sepia tones and soft focus give a hushed, almost painterly mood as the cathedral’s ornate towers rise above plain Georgian houses and an empty street pulls your eye into depth.
Made during photography’s infancy, this view shows how Talbot’s paper processes could capture architectural detail and atmosphere, helping to establish photography as a tool for documentation and artistic observation.
Medium
Salted paper print
Dimensions
6 5/16 × 8" (16.1 × 20.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Purchase
Accession
1970.2008
Palette
Exhibitions
