Benjamin Brecknell Turner

waxed-paper negative, 1852-54

Collection of André Jammes, Paris

Hans P. Kraus, Jr., Fine Photographs, New York, 1994

David Travis and Marie-Thérèse and André Jammes, Niépce to Atget: The First Century of Photography, From the Collection of André Jammes (The Art Institute of Chicago, 1977), p. 39, cat. no. 51 (this negative)

An albumen print in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum:

Martin Barnes, Benjamin Brecknell Turner: Rural England through a Victorian Lens (Victoria & Albert Publications, 2001), p. 15 and pl. 46

Carolyn Bloor and Grace Seiberling, A Vision Exchanged (Victoria & Albert Museum, 1985), p. 25

Roger Taylor, Impressed by Light: British Photographs from Paper Negatives, 1840-1860 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2007), pl. 38 

This large, impressive wax-paper negative possesses a surprising luminosity when viewed with only a modest amount of back-lighting. It has rich brown-gold tones, and extraordinary detail is visible throughout, from the stark pollarded trees, to the seated figure in the foreground, to the field beyond. The negative is on thin paper that was hand-coated with wax. In raking light, some unevenness of the wax coating is visible in the upper sky area. When examined closely, faint creases are visible in the upper right corner. None of these condition issues detracts from the overwhelmingly fine appearance of this rare waxed-paper negative.
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.

The aesthetic complexity of a waxed-paper negative is exemplified by the luminous Benjamin Brecknell Turner negative offered here.  Brecknell Turner, a founding member of the Photographic Society of London, photographed primarily in and around Worcestershire and maintained his fondness for paper negatives after glass and collodion had replaced them.  Extant prints of any of Turner's images are scarce.  An albumen print from this negative is part of Turner's Photographic Views from Nature, an album in the Victoria & Albert Museum.  The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the National Media Museum, Bradford, holds the largest collection of Turner's paper negatives extant.