History of Photography in Brighton

The Decline of the Daguerreotype

By the time Folthorp's Directory of 1856 was published, the daguerreotype was on its way out. All the photographers listed in the Professional and Trades section of Folthorp's Directory appear under the heading Photographic and Talbotype Galleries. 'Farmer's Daguerreotype Rooms' had become 'Farmer's Photographic Institution' and William Lane had abandoned the daguerreotype for his Verreotype process. In an advertisement dated 3 January 1856, William Lane promoted his new and improved Verreotype Process, by detailing the advantages the new process had over the daguerreotype. Verreotypes, Lane proclaimed, were perfectly free from metallic reflection and could be seen "in every shade of light." Verreotype portraits took only a short time to produce and could be "taken in dull, or even rainy weather . . . when it would be quite impossible to operate with the Daguerreotype method." Lane states confidently in his advertisement that "these never fading Portraits . . . are now superseding Daguerreotypes."

o(ABOVE ) A portrait of the Brighton photographer William Lane, which appeared on his trade tokens issued around 1860. Lane pioneered the verreotype process which was based on Fred Scott Archer's "wet collodion" method of photography.

(ABOVE ) An advertisement for Lane's Photographic Gallery at 213, Western Road, Brighton which appeared on the back of one of Lane's 'verreotype' portraits.In this publicity for his 'Verreotype Process, William Lane points out the advantages of photography on glass over the daguerreotype process. " Verreotypes," Lane announces are "perfectly free from metallic reflection" and can " be seen in every shade of light."

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE Albumen in Photography