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Lot Essay
Three rare and important early instantaneous photographs by Skaife, who is best-known for his invention of the "Pistolgraph" miniature camera system. Skaife patented, in June 1856, "Spring-folding camera-shutters, for the more speedy and convenient mode of taking pictures than has been hitherto adopted." These were designed to be fitted to a stereo camera and gave an exposure time of approx. 1/5 second. The same shutters were later employed in the Pistolgraph camera.
These photographs which capture a mortar blast and part of its trajectory, a seemingly impossible feat for the date, were requested by the War Department. Skaife, who was placed in some personal danger during the photography, saw the form of a phantom head in the shape of the smoke cloud, hence his titles for the images.
Captions to photographs are as follows:
No. 1. Mortar Phantom & .1/3 in. track of shell seen above smoke during the firing of a 13 inch Mortar on Woolwich Common by 2nd. Comp. 1st. bat. R.A. at 11-30 A.M. 28th June;
No. 2. Mortar Phantom seen in outline of smoke during the firing of the 13 inch Mortar at the battery on Woolwich Common at 11.40. am 28th. June (illus.);
No. 3. Mortar Phantom of the last firing of the Monster Mortar on Plumstead Marshes at 1.30 P.M. 28th. July (sic).
These photographs which capture a mortar blast and part of its trajectory, a seemingly impossible feat for the date, were requested by the War Department. Skaife, who was placed in some personal danger during the photography, saw the form of a phantom head in the shape of the smoke cloud, hence his titles for the images.
Captions to photographs are as follows:
No. 1. Mortar Phantom & .1/3 in. track of shell seen above smoke during the firing of a 13 inch Mortar on Woolwich Common by 2nd. Comp. 1st. bat. R.A. at 11-30 A.M. 28th June;
No. 2. Mortar Phantom seen in outline of smoke during the firing of the 13 inch Mortar at the battery on Woolwich Common at 11.40. am 28th. June (illus.);
No. 3. Mortar Phantom of the last firing of the Monster Mortar on Plumstead Marshes at 1.30 P.M. 28th. July (sic).