Cunningham, Beff, John Hamilton, Guthrie 1843 - 1847

This calotype photograph, taken by the Scottish photographers Hill & Adamson between 1843 and 1847, captures a group portrait of five men, including the Scottish poet and playwright William Cunningham, the author John Hamilton, and the journalist and writer Peter Beff. Hill & Adamson were pioneers in the use of the calotype process, a technique that produced images on paper rather than glass plates. This early photographic work is considered a significant example of the development of photography as an art form. This photograph is part of the Hill & Adamson's "Calotype Portraits," a collection of approximately 3,000 calotype portraits of prominent people in Scotland.