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There are more than five million objects in the Harry Ransom Center's Photography Collection. Many records contain legacy descriptions. A review and update of our records is ongoing.

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Call Number:

PH-02949

Collection Name:

Helmut Gernsheim Reproductions of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s Untitled ‘point de vue’ Photography Collection

Creator:

Gernsheim, Helmut, 1913-1995 (1913-03-01 - 1995-07-20)

No. of Items:

8 items

Span Dates:

1952-1965

Description:

The collection consists of reproductions of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s untitled ‘point de vue’ that were made in the weeks after Helmut and Alison Gernsheim acquired the photograph from Mrs. Gibbon Pritchard on February 15, 1952. To obtain a suitable press image of the object, they sought the assistance of the Kodak Research Laboratories, Harrow, United Kingdon. Included here is a sketch of the heliograph made by Helmut Gernsheim before leaving it with Kodak; two prints provided to the Gernsheims by Kodak after the copy work was completed; another of these Kodak prints, subsequently retouched by Helmut Gernsheim; a glass plate copy negative made by Helmut Gernsheim after further generations of copying and enhancement; a print likely from that negative; a print of the Kodak version, made from a subsequent copy negative by Helmut Gernsheim; and a print of the Kodak version, sent directly from Kodak Limited, Harrow, to Professor John Meaney at the Harry Ransom Center in 1965. Item-level information follows.

964:0000:0011 -- Gernsheim, Helmut (British, born Germany, 1913-1995). Sketch of untitled heliograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, 1952. Graphite on paper, 15 x 18.7 cm (image); 18.9 x 22.2 cm (sheet); 25.2 x 30.3 cm (mount);

964:0000:0012 -- Watt, P. B. (British, active circa 1950-1980s), Kodak Research Laboratories, Harrow. Reproduction of untitled heliograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, 1952. Gelatin silver print, 19.7 x 21.4 cm;

964:0000:0013 -- Watt, P. B. (British, active circa 1950-1980s), Kodak Research Laboratories, Harrow. Reproduction of untitled heliograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, 1952, printed 1965. Gelatin silver print (copy print), 20.2 x 26.1 cm;

964:0000:0014 -- Watt, P. B. (British, active circa 1950-1980s), Kodak Research Laboratories, Harrow. Reproduction of untitled heliograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, 1952, printed from copy negative by Helmut Gernsheim before 1963. Gelatin silver print, 20.3 x 25.8 cm (sheet);

964:0000:0015 -- Watt, P. B. (British, active circa 1950-1980s), Kodak Research Laboratories, Harrow. Reproduction of untitled heliograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, 1952. Gelatin silver print, 19.5 x 21.4 cm;

964:0000:0016 -- Gernsheim, Helmut (British, born Germany, 1913-1995). Untitled heliograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce; reproduced by P. B. Watt at Kodak Research Laboratories, Harrow; heavily retouched by Helmut Gernsheim, 1952. Gelatin silver print with applied pigment, 19.7 x 21.7 cm.

964:0000:0017 -- Gernsheim, Helmut (British, born Germany, 1913-1995). Untitled heliograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce; reproduced by P. B. Watt at Kodak Research Laboratories, Harrow; print and subsequent copy negatives retouched in stages by Helmut Gernsheim to reach this final generation print, 1952; printed before 1963. Gelatin silver print, 15.6 x 20.8 cm (sheet); 15.8 x 21.1 cm (mount).

964:0000:0026 -- Gernsheim, Helmut (British, born Germany, 1913-1995). Untitled heliograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce; reproduced by P. B. Watt at Kodak Research Laboratories, Harrow; print and subsequent copy negatives retouched in stages by Helmut Gernsheim to reach this final copy negative, 1952 or later. Gelatin silver glass plate negative, 8.9 x 11.8 cm.

Accession No(s):

964:0000:0011-0012, 0014-0017, 0026 -- Purchase, 1963; 964:0000:0011-0017, 0026; 964:0000:0013 -- Gift, 1965

Location(s):

Niépce, J.N., Gernsheim Repros of, Box 1 (964:0000:0011-0017)
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Curatorial permission required Niépce, J.N., Gernsheim Repros of, Box 2 (964:0000:0026)
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See Also:

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce Photography Collection: The original untitled ‘point de vue’ forms part of the Joseph Nicéphore Niépce Photography Collection (PH-00504).