[Photography- Scarce Extremely Large Charles NËgre Paper Negative Salt Print, ca. 1850] Madonna & Child

Huge original paper negative salt print measuring 17 x 14 inches by Charles NËgre (1820-1880), pioneering photographer who studied under the painters Ingres & Delaroche before establishing his own studio where he used photography as research for painting. This is a mammoth-sized paper negative, made by NËgre himself, employing a process using a negative printed directly on paper. Paper negatives eventually evolved into more sophisticated modalities, including better fixing methods, and waxing, employed here by NËgre to make the paper more translucent. Salt printing is the oldest printing method for contact printing of photographs on paper, which is coated with sodium chloride solution combined with silver nitrate and then exposed to sun or light. Remarkably, the print is in fine condition, an amazing survival. NËgre used both albumen and salt prints, and, unlike many of his contemporaries, printed all of his own photographs and was renowned as a photographic printer. This print was in the famous Jammes Collection Sale, a landmark in the development and popularization of fine historic photographs. It was later purchased by Serge Plantureux, one of the world authorities on early photographers, and it bears his holograph notation in pencil on the back of the print: "Papier salÈ de Charles NËgre, de la Collection Jammes. SP." [Salt print by Charles NËgre, from the Jammes Collection]. An amazingly well-preserved example of NËgre photography, especially when considering its size as well as the delicate nature of the print paper. Most scarce thus.

Price: $3,250.00   Item #6229