Elisa deCourcy: The global engagement of two British photographers, James William Newland (1810-57) and Louisa How (1821-93).
Abstract: This paper begins with two daguerreotype portraits of unidentified men taken by James William Newland (1810-57) which appear typical of the Daguerreian period but also bookend the exceptional career of their photographer. Made in two of the busiest mid-19th century ports, the images are a part of a mid-century entanglement between commodity trade, photographic knowledge, and an expanding market of globally disseminated illustrated publishing. This paper traces two British photographers: Newland, and the calotypist Louisa How (1821-93). We will look at the ways both engaged with a metropolitan culture of photography through supplies and periodicals which updated their knowledge and tethered them to English photographic conversations. Newland and How’s biographies emphasise the expansive reach of early British photography whilst problematising its homogeneity.
