Anonymous British Photographer

cyanotype photogram and the original fern specimen used to create the photogram, the first titled, presumably by the photographer, in white ink in the image and in an unidentified old hand in pencil on the reverse, the second titled in unidentified old hands in ink and annotated in pencil on a paper tag attached to the specimen, matted, the specimen sewn to an album leaf, circa 1850s (2)

The album from which these came, Sotheby's London, 22 April 1988, Lot 68

Ken and Jenny Jacobson, Essex, England

Acquired by the present owner from the above

These cyanotypes and specimens were originally from an album belonging to John Hatton (1882-1972), curator of the Spa at Bath, England, who was also an amateur botanist.  Family sources suggest that Hatton likely purchased the album early in the 20^th century in Buxton, when he was curator of the spa there.  A book dealer near Buxton has recognized the pricing code in the original album as having been sold by the Wooliscroft family, who were well-established antiques dealers from 1823 until recently, and it is thought that it was likely sold by Francis Wooliscroft, Sr., as he was known to have had eccentric tastes.  Most dealers at the time would not have been interested in such an album.

Fern cyanotypes from this album in the past have been incorrectly attributed to a “Lady Hatton,”  probably due to John Hatton’s ownership. Despite extensive research, the creator of these works remains anonymous.  The work likely dates from the late 1840s or 1850s. Nicholas Pickwood of the National Trust Libraries dates the original album’s binding from 1837.  There was evidence that other works of art were kept in the album until it was adapted for the fern studies.  Paper conservators have dated the paper used to make the cyanotypes from the 1840s-1850s, the same period during which Anna Atkins worked.  The album has been variously, but erroneously, attributed to the ‘circle of Anna Atkins’ and to Atkins.  As Ken Jacobson has pointed out, however, these plates differ from Atkins's style.  There are few known examples, except those from the Hatton album, of collections containing both early cyanotypes and original specimens from which they were made.

Sotheby's wishes to thank Ken Jacobson for sharing his unpublished notes on The Hatton Fern Album (1988).