Item #28101 A Manual of Photography ... Fourth edition, Revised Illustrated by Numerous Engravings. Robert Hunt.
A Manual of Photography ... Fourth edition, Revised Illustrated by Numerous Engravings
A Manual of Photography ... Fourth edition, Revised Illustrated by Numerous Engravings
A Manual of Photography ... Fourth edition, Revised Illustrated by Numerous Engravings
A Manual of Photography ... Fourth edition, Revised Illustrated by Numerous Engravings
A Manual of Photography ... Fourth edition, Revised Illustrated by Numerous Engravings
with 32 page photographic apparatus catalog

A Manual of Photography ... Fourth edition, Revised Illustrated by Numerous Engravings

London and Glasgow: Richard Griffin and Company 1854. xii, 329, [2], 32, 8 pages. 8vo. (5 x 7 3/4 inches). Publisher's red cloth gilt, with blind-stamped decorations front and rear panels. Chromolithograph frontis (foxed). Tissue guard damaged. Corners bumped, partially unopened, soiling and minor bubbling to the cloth with darkened spine panel. Rear joint cracked lower inch but still fundamentally sound. Previous owner name (Mary W. Husted, Chadeayne) on half-title, and name on front flyleaf. Front and rear endpapers (4 pages total) are publisher's advertisements. The last 8 pages are "New Works in Science and General Literature, published by Richard Griffin and Company", dated April 1854. Preceding that is a 32 page "Catalogue of Photographic Apparatus sold by John Joseph Griffin, F. C. S. ... and by Richard Griffin and Company" dated April 1854. Pages 15/16 of catalogue roughly opened resulting in a tear affecting some lettering (no loss of meaning). Very Good. Cloth. [28101]


First published in 1841 as "A Popular Treatise on the Art of Photography, including Daguerreotype and all the new methods of producing pictures by the chemical action of light", Gernsheim describes the work as the "first general treatise on photography" and it was only 96 pages long (Gernsheim #653). The second enlarged edition had a new title: "Photography: a treatise on the chemical changes produced by solar radiation..." and was published in 1851 (234 pages, Gernsheim #693). The third edition, now titled "Manual of Photography," and was published in 1853 (321 pages, Gernsheim #714). The 4th edition (as here) was published in 1854 (329 pages plus a catalog of Photographic apparatus, no separate listing in Gernsheim), and finally the 5th in 1857.

In addition to documenting the continuing evolution of photography, of special interest to historians is the extensive 32 page catalog of Photographic apparatus in the rear of the book.

REFERENCES:
Gernsheim, H. Incunabula of British photographic literature

Price: $450.00