Portrait of a man in profile, identified to be Dr. Herschel (the astronomer). Depicted in front of a landscape backdrop of a night sky with stars, moon and trees. The figure wears a heavy double breasted coat and white necktie.
Sir William Herschel was probably the most famous astronomer of the 18th century. Among many of his important findings, he discovered the planet Uranus in 1781. At his family home, Observatory House, Slough, Herschel had the largest reflecting telescope in the world. It was 40 feet long with a 48-inch mirror. He and his sister Caroline (1750-1848) were devoted to cataloguing their discoveries and were also both dedicated musicians. Herschel's son, John (1792-1871), followed in his father's footsteps and combined astronomy with early experimental photography.
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Provenance
Title
Portrait of Herschel
Image description
Portrait of a man in profile, identified to be Dr. Herschel (the astronomer). Depicted in front of a landscape backdrop of a night sky with stars, moon and trees. The figure wears a heavy double breasted coat and white necktie.
Subject name
Herschel, Dr.
Inscription
On the backing paper:
'Preserved as a specimen of photography only - among others in drawer of 6.4 cabinet
Daguerre style from engraving
(reversed)
by James Godby of picture by
Fr. Rehberg, done in 1814
at Windsor of
Dr. Herschel
(Sir Fr. William, K.G.H.)
We have many other engraved copies-
(This daguerrotype is not identical with the same(?)
by Thomson, W.H… LLD, 7QS, pub: Fisher 1820)
In pencil below:
In the absence of a date to the daguerrotype all that can be said is that it was probably made about 1850>< (W.J.A 1890) it has faded.
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