William Leighton Leitch 1843 - 1847

This is William Leighton Leitch, captured by Hill and Adamson sometime between 1843 and 1848 using a calotype. The calotype process, invented by William Henry Fox Talbot, was revolutionary. It involved coating paper with silver iodide, creating a negative image. This negative could then be used to make multiple positive prints. Look closely, and you can see the texture of the paper coming through. This is not the slick, clinical surface we associate with photography today. The fuzziness is due to the materials and the relatively long exposure time. But this image is also evidence of labor. Consider the work involved in preparing the chemicals, coating the paper, setting up the shot, and then developing and printing the image. Photography, often seen as purely technical, is deeply rooted in craft, and the cultural moment of early industrialization. Thinking about photography as a material process allows us to appreciate the skill and effort involved, and to understand how this new medium was quickly democratized as a form of expression.