Nicolaas Henneman in Profile

This intimate salted paper print captures Nicolaas Henneman, William Henry Fox Talbot's trusted assistant, in profile. Created in 1843, the same year Talbot was actively experimenting and refining his photographic processes, this portrait showcases the delicate tonality and subtle detail characteristic of his early work. Talbot, a true polymath and pioneer of photography, had only a few years prior asserted his invention of 'photogenic drawing' to the Royal Society, a precursor to the salted paper and calotype processes. Henneman, a former valet, became indispensable to Talbot, assisting him with experiments at Lacock Abbey and later managing Talbot's photographic printing establishment in Reading. This portrait is a testament to the collaborative spirit of early photography and the innovative techniques Talbot developed, which allowed for the creation of multiple positive prints from a single paper negative, a significant departure from the unique daguerreotype.