xlINTRODUCTION
the Victoria & Albert Museum—and those who initiated
the collecting of photographs at the Library of Congress
and elsewhere.
Our enduring impressions of the nineteenth century
including the Crimean War, the American Civil War, and
other mid-century confl icts are informed by the images
offered by surviving photographs. These images were
often constrained by the limitations of available process-
es and technology, by the photographers’ interpretation
of contemporary sensibilities and by the photographers’
recognition that sales of the resulting images had to
conform to the tastes of the purchaser. When with an
understanding of their time, however, these images serve
as valid historical documentation from which anyone
reading this text can gain not only a more intimate
knowledge of these events, but also of how responsive
photography was in certain circumstances.
Just as infl uential in dictating the nature and content
of photographs of news and current affairs were the
constraints placed on mid-nineteenth century photog-
raphers by the nature of the processes they were using.
The inability of the medium to capture action resulted
in an abundance of staged portraits. Thus, in offering a
real understanding of the images produced during the
nineteenth century, we have sought in compiling The
Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography to
present factual material within its contemporary nine-
teenth century context. Reading mid-Victorian images
with a twenty-fi rst century mindset is to misunderstand
much of what is to be seen.
The publication of both the Encyclopedia of Nine-
teenth-Century Photography and the companion
three-volume Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century
Photography, document the magnitude of nineteenth
century photographers’ vision, and the extent to which
their early predictions for photography have been
achieved and surpassed. These two texts present in a
set of reference books what will become the standard
sources of students for years to come. These volumes
will also by their breadth and content undoubtedly drive
further photo-historical research in many of those areas
of study.Acknowledgments
In bringing this project to completion, I am indebted to
the vision of the original editor, Pamela Roberts, and to
the Advisory Board made up of leading academics and
curators worldwide, who established the basic principles
of the project and drew up the original list of entries. I
have deviated only slightly from their list, adding a few
emerging fi gures as the project progressed. To realise
their vision required the scholarship of the many leading
authorities on nineteenth century photography who have
written the entries, and the many collections from which
the illustrations have generously been made available.
The contributions of many people have been equally
crucial in completing this project and we owe them
each, individually, a debt of gratitude for their perse-
verance. To name but a few, I am especially indebted
to Ron Callender, Alistair Crawford, Malcolm Daniel,
Anthony Hamber, Michael Hallett, Colin Harding, Kath-
leen Stewart Howe, Gael Newton, Michael Pritchard,
Pam Roberts, Larry Schaaf, Graham Smith, and Mike
Ware for their knowledge and their advice, and for
their generosity with their time in helping me unravel
some of the complexities of identifi cation, and helping
me to fi nd authoritative writers for many of the more
challenging entries that have signifi cantly expanded the
boundaries of published knowledge. That we have found
accomplished researchers adds to the integrity of the
project. Special thanks to Mark Georgiev, Acquisitions
Editor, and also to Beth Renner, Development Editor at
Routledge, who has had the unenviable task of keeping
track of all the assignments, cajoling writers who missed
their deadlines, liaising with me every step along the
way, and helping us get back on track needed.
Despite its trials, this has been one of the most re-
warding projects with which I have been involved. Dur-
ing it, I have had the pleasure of meeting and discussing
photographic history with countless remarkable people.
The highs have been very high, but the lows would have
been a lot lower without the support and encouragement
of my wife, Kath.
John HannavyHannavy_RT72353_C000b.indd xl 6/24/2007 2:00:17 PM