Royal William Victualling Yard, Plymouth, from Mount Edgecumbe

A paper calotype negative. A view across the water from the corner of the Garden Battery at Mount Edgecumbe towards the Clarence Building of the Royal William Victualling Yard, Plymouth dockyard. The photograph is framed by a tree in leaf on the left and two mounted cannon in the foreground. A similar composition was used by Talbot and Henneman before but placed people in the image (see P14CAL).

A letter from Talbot's half-sister Caroline Augusta Edgecumbe, married to the 3rd Earl Mount Edgecumbe, dated 7 September, expressed her delight at him visiting and confirmed that Calvert Jones and Nicolaas Henneman were welcome too. [BL, LA45-124 ]. However, a letter dated 23 September 1845 from Calvert Jones is addressed from Regent Street, London [BL, LA45-131, doc 5398] indicating that he was not there for the visit.

A letter from Constance Talbot, his wife, dated 12 October 1845 states 'I do long to see the Mount Edgecumbe views – particularly the battery scene', which may relate to this one as well as the image in P14CAL. [BL, LA45-136].

Object Details

ID: P15CAL
Type: Calotype negative
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Talbot, William Henry Fox; Henneman, Nicolaas
Date made: September 1845; circa 20 - 30 September 1845
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Fox Talbot Collection
Measurements: Overall: 166 mm x 201 mm