After taking a look around ‘Time, Conflict, Photography’ at the Tate Modern I hopped on a bus (you can also take the boat) and headed down to the Tate Britain to look at their other photo exhibition ‘Salt and Silver’. The Tate Britain is displaying 90 Salted paper prints, salted paper prints are one of the earliest forms of photography. The medium was invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1839 which was a mere 11 years after the first permanent photograph was taken. Due to their fragile nature very few of the original prints still exist today and this is the first exhibition to show just Salted paper prints.
Left: Cantinére by Roger Fenton – 1855
Right: Captain Mottram Andrews by Roger Fenton – 1855
The exhibition showcases images from 1840s – 1850s, I find it fascinating to see photographs beyond anyone’s living memory. The highlight of the show for me was Roger Fenton’s portraits from the Crimean War, usually portraits from this period were shot in a studio setting but Fenton shot his portraits around the army camp as his subjects went about their business.
Nelsons column under construction by William Henry Fox Talbot – 1843
Salt and Silver is on show at the Tate Britain until 7th June 2015, entry is £10.90. Once you’re done with Salt and Silver it would be worth your while popping on a boat upstream and visiting the Tate Modern to see ‘Conflict, Time, Photography’, I’ve written about that show on my blog too.
