Ponton to Klic to Photojournalism
co-curated with Harry Magee
Gum bichromate, photographically-enlarged prints of Mungo Ponton’s drawings of his observation s though a microscope published in 1871 as engraved illustrations in his book The Beginning Its When and Its How, Longmans, Green and Co.
Ponton’s 1839 discovery of the light sensitivity of bichromate/dichromate salts was the basis of most photomechanical processes prior to the discovery diazo in nearly 100 years later.
Dichromate sensitization is still used in traditional copperplate photogravure where it is used to sensitise the gelatine emulsion – the carbon tissue – which facilitates the transfer of the photographic image to the plate where it acts as an acid resist.
The exhibition included examples of carbon prints, Woodburytypes and photogravures
Klic went on the invent rotogravure which was initially used to reproduce fine art paintings.
He was also a successful professional painter and caricaturist. His painting of Gladstone was the first rotogravure to be made in 1893. Examples of fine art reproductions made by rotogravure were exhibited.
Photojournalism was illustrated by examples time-lining the take-up of rotogravure by magazines such as the Illustrated London News (1913) and Picture Post (1938) and eventually by the Sunday papers magazines, starting with the Sunday Times in the 1960s.
Of course the real purpose of the exhibition was to provide supporting information for the launch of Harry Magee’s and my book, KLIC: Life Art Invention
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