19thC; Jones Calvert, Dolphin Fountain

Entwined dolphins support a scallop shell from which water cascades into a raised, stone octagonal pool. In the left foreground there is a flower bed and, along the path, a pedestaled planter. Behind are shrubs, branches of a tree and a glimpse of further gardens beyond.
The print is faded at the edges, particularly to the left and lower edges. There are a number of fingerprints particularly over the area of foliage.

During the1830s William Henry Fox Talbot invented a way of making paper negatives and from them multiple paper prints. In doing so, he laid the foundations of modern photography. Calvert Richard Jones learned of these developments in 1839 through a neighbour, who was a cousin of Talbot. Jones made many pictures of the West of England and of South Wales, where he lived. He also travelled widely, making photographs on the continent. Jones' work stands out in the early development of photography because he was one of the first to apply a schooled artist's eye to the medium.

This photograph was made at Singleton House, South Wales. The fountain, with its entwined dolphins, scallop shells and decorative stone octagonal base, is the dominant motif in this photograph. Its position towards the right of the image is balanced by a second vertical element, a festooned stone urn on a smaller octagonal base. The view through the shrubs to the right of the fountain is curtailed by horizontal shadows which echo the wide steps in the foreground..

This is an unique image: there are several prints of an alternative view of the Dolphin Fountain (Smithsonian, NMeM, BL). The numerous finger marks in this print suggest that it may have been made by Jones himself. The design of the stone surround to the fountain pool indicates that this is the dolphin fountain at Singleton Abbey. However, there are three fountains with similarly entwined dolphins on the terrace outside the Orangery at Margam Castle. Jones may have phographed the fountain at Singleton for copies to be made for Margham.

PH.31-1983