5 articles entitled 'Photography at Length' by Brian Polden in 'Photographica World' 2002-2004

A series of articles entitled 'Photography at Length' by Brian Polden, published in 'Photographica World', a journal which publishes articles and research on different aspects of photographic history plus book reviews and correspondence. Within this collection are 5 parts, totalling 25 pages, which continue over a period of two years, throughout which a comprehensive history of the panorama is presented: 'Photography at Length: Part 1' - 2002/2: Beginning with a biographical account of Robert Barker, the origins of panoramic imaging is discussed. An extract goes as follows, 'Fired with the ambition of producing an exciting form of wrap-around imaging, Barker took out a British Patent (No.1612) on 19th June 1787 as an "Apparatus for Exhibiting Pictures." Further in this article there is a description of how to capture a panoramic still as well as an overview of 'The Ellipsen Daguerreotype'. 'Photography at Length: Part 2' - 2002/4 The second part of this series introduces Frédéric Vincent Martens, the author of the Megaskop patent, and follows his photographic work using the daguerreotype. He is described as "the first to produce a marketable panoramic camera [...]". 'Photography at Length: Part 3' - 2003/2 Following the biography of the panorama, Part 3 discusses the use of glass as opposed to silvered-copper sheets to produce panoramic images. Various diagrams are presented here which show the different forms of panoramic camera designs between the period 1854 to 1892, including Sutton's design, Rowland's 1865 design and Benoist's 1889 design. 'Photography at Length: Part 4' - 2003/4 Discussing the arrival of the roll film, this part begins with a focus on John Robert Connon's 'Whole Circle Camera' design which captured a full 360 degree view and other similar patents taken out which were capable of capturing similar panoramas including 'The Panoramakamera', a design by Müller and Klein. 'Photography at Length: Part 5' - 2004/3 The final part in the series concludes with the introduction of the first multi-lens panoramic cameras, including the Cyclographe and Marcellus' Cycloramic. A useful table is included on page 29 which compares the functions of panorama cameras with extended field/ wide-format cameras and on page 30 a full time-line of 'Panoramic Cameras and their Derivatives' is presented.

Part of the Ralph Hyde Collection