Mer de Glace, Switzerland Thompson, Stephen  (British, b.1831)

This beautiful book contains 28 mounted photographs reproduced in the Woodburytype process. The photographers include Woodbury himself, Thomson, Bierstadt, Braun, and Houseworth. The woodburytypes are exquisite and masterfull, intended as a testimony to the amazing reproduction quality achievable by this process. One of the finest nineteenth century travel albums, and rightfully included in The Truthful Lens no. 189

From the introduction…The object of this, the first gift-book of its character, is to place before the public a selection of the most celebrated of the world’s beauties and wonders, which being all pictures of the unerring sun’s work are necessarily true to the places they represent, without any flattery. The Editor’s aim has been to make the selection pleasing from its very variety, and to represent the most interesting places to be found in the principal countries of the world. The photographs are all taken by gentlemen whose names stand high in the photographic profession; and the proofs being printed in imperishable pigments by the Woodbury Process are thus guaranteed from fading or ever losing their brilliancy. The endless choice of earth’s beautiful scenery will enable us should the present volume receive the esteem of the public, to present yearly a collection of the camera’s choicest renderings. [1]

References

[1] Foster, Sheila J. Imagining Paradise: The Richard and Ronay Menschel Library at George Eastman House, Rochester. Rochester, NY: George Eastman House, 2007

Goldschmidt Lucien Weston J Naef and Grolier Club. 1980. The Truthful Lens : A Survey of the Photographically Illustrated Book 1844-1914. 1st ed. New York: Grolier Club