What we see here are unique paper
negatives from the 1850’s by some of the greatest old master
photographers, a small but perfectly formed exhibition of which opens
today at the London arm of Daniel Blau Gallery. They are the true originals, created by the light
reflecting off the photographed subject. For their beauty, Zeitgeist,
rarity and provenance they rank amongst the greatest treasures of
photography.
The paper negative had its heyday for a
brief period in the early days of photography until circa 1860.
Because the negative is the plate from which a multitude of positive
prints can be made, it normally remained in the photographer’s
possession during his lifetime. Only later would it enter into public
collections by will of the photo-grapher or the family’s donation.
It is rare to find negatives by famous artists such as Le Secq,
Nègre, de Beaucorps or de Clercq in private hands.
A negative can be so much more
evocative than a positive print. We realise from the blurred movement
of the clock’s hand on the picture of the Palazzo Vecchio that it
took three minutes of exposure time to take the photo, long enough to
empty the square of all the people moving about. Their movements made
them invisible to the camera. Only the building remains in its static
existence with the guard’s rifles leaning against the wall.
Like a printing plate, the photographic
negative has long been regarded as a stage in a working process.
Surrealism and other lessons in art have taught us how to look at the
more abstract pictures of the world. We have since begun to
appreciate the photographic paper negative with its saturated,
ominous dark against the ethereal pale as a work of art in its own
mysterious beauty.
This is truly a prized opportunity to see such precious photographs outside of a museum context, some of which are even magically backlit and are sure to transfix the connoisseurs of nineteenth century photography amongst our readers. Photographer's Own: Paper Negatives runs until 31
March.
