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Vases, etc., Institut Minutoli, Liegnitz

Photograph
ca. 1855 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Prussian baron Alexander von Minutoli (1806-87) often sent his model collection to schools of the applied arts. The objects, however, suffered from this treatment. Thus he commissioned photographic reproductions to circulate instead. The first trial with Daguerreotypes failed, because these were relatively fragile and also suffered from frequent moving. (Daguerrotype was the first commercially available form of photography, introduced in 1839. Each photograph was a one-off, appearing on a silvered copper plate.) In 1853 Minutoli engaged Ludwig Belitski to make a photographic reproduction on paper. Belitski was a photographer from Liegnitz in Silesia (now Legnica, Poland). He earned international fame from Minutoli’s large commission (seven folio-sized volumes with 663 plates) and won awards in Brussels and Amsterdam in 1855 and 1856. The Venetian glass here was photographed in bright sunlight.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleVases, etc., Institut Minutoli, Liegnitz (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Salted paper print
Brief description
Photograph by Ludwig Belitski, 'Vases, etc., Institut Minutoli, Liegnitz', salted paper print, ca. 1855
Physical description
A mounted photograph of various glass objects including glasses and a vase.
Dimensions
  • Mount height: 330mm
  • Mount width: 270mm
  • Image height: 220mm
  • Image width: 175mm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Vases etc. / Institut Minutoli, Lignitz' (ink, lower right mount)
  • (partial blindstamp, upper centre mount)
  • '3.2.7' (pencil and ink, lower centre mount)
  • 'x. 285 / LEIGNITZ / Minutolisches / Institut' (printed label, upper right mount)
  • 'Minutoli. / Vorbilder fur Handwerker. / Par. 3 / 1855.' (stamp, verso mount)
Gallery label
(27 November 2018)
Cast Courts Reinstallation, 27 November 2018

2. FACSIMILE PHOTOGRAPH OF
Ornamental glass from 'Models for Craftsmen', 1855

Ludwig Belitski, 1853-54

Photography does not require physical contact with objects, allowing reproductions to be make of objects too fragile to be cast or electrotyped. These ornamental glasses have been arranged as a trophy. Although the image is only two-dimensional, it still conveys useful information about the line, form and construction of the objects to artists and makers. This photograph is part of a set published as Models for Craftsmen in 1855.

REPRODUCED FROM
Albumen print
Minutolisches Institut
in Liegnitz, Silesia
(now Legnica, Poland)
Museum no. 36223
Credit line
Given by The Prince Consort
Historical context
In 1855 Prince Albert donated Models for Craftsmen, photographed by Ludwig Belitski, published by the Minutolische Institut, Liegnits, Silesia
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
The Prussian baron Alexander von Minutoli (1806-87) often sent his model collection to schools of the applied arts. The objects, however, suffered from this treatment. Thus he commissioned photographic reproductions to circulate instead. The first trial with Daguerreotypes failed, because these were relatively fragile and also suffered from frequent moving. (Daguerrotype was the first commercially available form of photography, introduced in 1839. Each photograph was a one-off, appearing on a silvered copper plate.) In 1853 Minutoli engaged Ludwig Belitski to make a photographic reproduction on paper. Belitski was a photographer from Liegnitz in Silesia (now Legnica, Poland). He earned international fame from Minutoli’s large commission (seven folio-sized volumes with 663 plates) and won awards in Brussels and Amsterdam in 1855 and 1856. The Venetian glass here was photographed in bright sunlight.
Bibliographic reference
Julius Bryant, ed. Art and Design for All. The Victoria and Albert Museum London: V&A Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 9781851776665.
Collection
Accession number
36223

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Record createdFebruary 6, 2004
Record URL
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