Skip to Main Content

 Admission is always freeOpen today: 10:00  to 5:00  Directions             Play Artle            

                  -  Visit                      - Visit
                    - Getting Here
                    - Accessibility
                    - Tours, Guides & Maps
                    - Food & Drink
                    - Gallery Shops
                    - Visitor Policies 
                  -  Collection                      - Collection
                    - Highlights
                    - Search the Collection
                    - Artists Search
                    - Acquisition Highlights
                    - Stories
                    - Games 
                  -  Exhibitions                      - Exhibitions
                    - Current
                    - Special Installations
                    - Upcoming
                    - On Tour
                    - Past 
                  -  Calendar                      - Calendar
                    - Films
                    - Performances
                    - Talks
                    - Guided Tours
                    - After Hours
                    - Fun for Kids
                    - Festivals
                    - Workshops 
                  -  Learn                      - Learn
                    - Teachers
                    - Families
                    - Teens
                    - Adults
                    - Learning Resources
                    - Music Programs
                    - Film Programs 
                  -  Conservation                      - Conservation
                    - Projects
                    - Publications
                    - Resources 
                  -  Research                      - Research
                    - The Center
                    - Publications
                    - Make an Appointment
                    - Archives
                    - Library
                    - NGA Online Editions 
                  -  Support                      - Support
                    - Donate Now
                    - National Membership
                    - Circle Membership
                    - Leadership Groups
                    - Planned Giving
                    - Major Giving
                    - Gifts of Art 
                  -  Shop                      - Shop
                    - Books
                    - Jewelry
                    - Apparel & Accessories
                    - Kids
                    - NGA Custom Prints 
                  -  Play Artle

Home>Captain Linnaeus Tripe: Photographer of India and Burma, 1852-1860>Photographic Practices

Introduction

Early Work in England

Return to India

The Burma Mission

South India

Note on Tripe's Prints

Photographic Printing Techniques of the 1850s

Photographic Practices of the 1850s

Chronology

Exhibition Catalog Captain Linnaeus TripeRoger Taylor, Crispin Branfoot, with Sarah Greenough and Malcolm Daniel

AudioIntroduction to the Exhibition, lecture by Sarah Greenough, exhibition curator

Audio Symposium Lecture Part 1: ''A Glorious Galaxy of Monuments': Photography and the Archaeological Survey of India after Tripe," John Falconer

Audio Symposium Lecture Part 2: "Interpreting Early Photography in India: Medium and Method," Zahid R. Chaudhary

Audio Symposium Lecture Part 3: "Measuring Time: Linnaeus Tripe’s Inscription of the Thanjavur Temple, 1858," Maria Antonella Pelizzari

PDF Download Public Symposium Program

Linnaeus Tripe in the Collection of the National Gallery of Art

Photographs Conservation

Press Release

Exhibition Checklist

# Photographic Practices of the 1850s

When Tripe began to photograph in the early 1850s, the medium was still a handcrafted process. Photography was not yet industrialized, and the inconsistent quality of materials forced photographers to adjust their own chemical formulas to achieve their desired results. Tripe primarily chose to make his negatives on paper rather than on glass, because paper negatives were more portable when he was traveling long distances and easier to use in the extreme heat and humidity of India. He also used a recently introduced waxed-paper process to make his negatives more transparent and produce greater detail.

Linnaeus Tripe*, Royacottah: Eedgah and Tomb*, December 1857–January 1858: **(fig. 1)** left: waxed-paper negative (note applied pigment in sky; click image to zoom in), Royal Photographic Society Collection, National Media Museum, Bradford;**(fig. 2)** right: positive print, Private Collection, Washington, DC

**Fig. 3.**Linnaeus Tripe retouched his negatives based on models such as James Duffield Harding’s lesson on drawing oak trees, c. 1850, lithograph, Private Collection

Photographers in the 19th century often retouched their negatives to compensate for the fact that photographic emulsions were not equally sensitive to all colors of the spectrum. For example, if the negative was properly exposed to capture foreground details, the sky would often appear faded and blotchy. To achieve a balance between the two, some photographers painted the sky in their negatives with pigment so that they could create an even tone when printing it (see works by Louis De Clercq and Dr. John Murray in the slide show below).

**Fig. 4.**Detail from a waxed-paper negative by Linnaeus Tripe of *Belloor: Temple of Vishnu, Bimanum, with Ammanovara Temple, Munduppums,**and Dweepastumbum*, December 1854 (note applied pigment on leaves), Royal Photographic Society Collection, National Media Museum, Bradford

Tripe retouched his negatives more extensively and dexterously than most 19th-century photographers. To convey different kinds of clouds and other atmospheric effects, he learned how pigment when applied to a negative would  translate into its reverse tonality when printed (figs. 1 and 2, at top). While correcting overexposed foliage, he followed the example of art teachers who advocated the use of short strokes to mimic the appearance of leaves (figs. 3 and 4).

Examples by Tripe's Contemporaries:

Photographic Practices of the 1850s: Examples by Tripe's Contemporaries
John MurrayScottish, 1809–1898*Nynee Tall from South End*, c. 1858–1862paper negativeNational Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon and Patrons’ Permanent Fund, 2006.133.96

Dr. John Murray took up photography in 1849 and photographed around Agra in the North-West Provinces in India from the 1850s through the 1860s. Like Tripe, he significantly retouched his negatives. Here, he painted the sky with a black pigment so that it would have a uniform tone and applied a yellow wash to the water so that it would be lighter in the resulting print. (See corresponding albumen print, 2006.133.96.1)

Photographic Practices of the 1850s: Examples by Tripe's Contemporaries
Louis De ClercqFrench, 1836–1901*Kalaat el Hosn (Castle of the Knights, Syria)*, 1859waxed-paper negativeNational Gallery of Art, Washington, Diana and Mallory Walker Fund, 2007.92.1

De Clercq painted the sky on his negative with pigment so that it would have a uniform light tone. Careful comparison between the negative and the following print reveals that he also painted over hills in the distance, lowering the horizon line. In addition, he retouched the bush in the center of the composition and the rocks in the foreground to give them more texture and definition.

Photographic Practices of the 1850s: Examples by Tripe's Contemporaries
Louis De ClercqFrench, 1836–1901*Kalaat el Hosn (Castle of the Knights, Syria)*, 1859albumen print from waxed-paper negativeNational Gallery of Art, Washington, Diana and Mallory Walker Fund, 2007.92.2

### Stay connected

Learn more about our exhibitions, news, programs, and special offers.

About
          - About the National Gallery
          - Stories
          - Press
          - FAQs
          - Contact Us

Plan a Visit
          - Getting Here
          - Accessibility
          - Today's Tours
          - Food & Drink
          - Calendar
          - Downloadable Map

Get Involved
          - Donate
          - Membership
          - Volunteer
          - Opportunities
          - Shop Online

Resources
          - Search the Collection
          - Conservation
          - Library
          - Archives
          - The Center
          - Film Programs
          - Music Programs
          - Audio/Video
          - Open Access Images

Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily

**West Building**6th St and Constitution Ave NW*Enter or exit from Constitution Avenue, 4th Street, or 7th Street. The Madison Drive entrance is currently closed.*

**East Building**4th St and Constitution Ave NW*Enter and exit from 4th Street.*

**Sculpture Garden**7th St and Constitution Ave NW*Enter and exit from 7th Street, Constitution Avenue, or Madison Drive.*

We are closed on December 25 and January 1.

*The National Gallery of Art serves the nation by welcoming all people to explore and experience art, creativity, and our shared humanity.*

          -  Twitter 
          -  Facebook 
          -  Instagram 
          -  Pinterest 
          -  YouTube 

© 2024 National Gallery of Art   Notices   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy