人物1824
Thomas Richard Williams
Thomas Richard Williams was a British professional photographer and one of the pioneers of stereoscopy.
人物1824
Thomas Richard Williams was a British professional photographer and one of the pioneers of stereoscopy.
在包含此条目的事件档案中探索信息与关系。
还没有包含此条目的事件档案。
从此条目开始调查等待第一条评论。
Thomas Richard Williams was a British professional photographer and one of the pioneers of stereoscopy.
Thomas Richard Williams (5 May 1824 – 5 April 1871) was a British professional photographer and one of the pioneers of stereoscopy.
Williams's first business was in London around 1850. He is known for his celebrated stereographic daguerreotypes of the Crystal Palace. He also did portrait photography, now in the Getty Museum's archives, which he regarded as his greatest success.
Dr. Brian May, CBE, and Elena Vidal are the two most prominent researchers on TR Williams. They have published several biographies in various journals and on the web, notably on the London Stereoscopic Company website and in their 2009 book, A Village Lost and Found, which details 59 of TR Williams' stereo photographs. In fact, most of what is known today about him can be attributed to their extensive and thorough research and publications. Prior to their research, only one printed paragraph about him existed, and their book is now the source to look to for collected biographical information.
Not much is known of his early childhood or family life before he was apprenticed to Antoine Claudet, renowned photographer and inventor, in the 1840s. He was born in Blackfriars, London on 5 May 1824. Thomas Williams, his father, co-owned and operated a family coach-driving business with service from London to Reading, a company which was eventually dissolved. Other than that, and that he preferred to be called "T. R." to "Thomas," research on his early life has turned up little. It seems reasonable, however, that he may have spent good portions of his childhood in the village of Hinton Waldrist in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), which later became a favourite subject of many of his surviving photographs, and a place for which he expressed in his work and writing a great deal of fondness.
May and Vidal write: “Williams’ talent soon became apparent, and he quickly worked his way through the ranks, from book-keeper and assistant in the reception room to operator. He could not have had a better teacher: Claudet was not only an excellent photographer but a very active innovator, always experimenting with new materials and techniques. Claudet realised that photography was still in its infancy, and dedicated himself to the pursuit of excellence in this new discipline:
“‘The discovery of a new art founded upon some startling facts in science, however perfect it may appear at the beginning, and little subject to improvement, rarely remains long stationary; and still more rarely can we foresee all its useful applications.’ (A. Claudet, The Progress and Present State of the Daguerreotype Art, 1845)
"Claudet’s interest in stereography proved to be a key element in Williams's choice of career. Binocular vision had fascinated scientists for centuries. In the 19th century, Elliot and Wheatstone studied the subject, and made the first instruments to view stereoscopic drawings as early as 1832."
In 1851, Hyde Park saw The Great Exhibition in The Crystal Palace. While attending the exhibition, Williams was able to take high quality daguerreotypes of the interior of the Palace, some of which survive today. It is doubtful, but unknown, whether they were ever made available to the public.
May and Vidal write, of this event: "1851... marked the coming of age of stereoscopic photography. Although many of the pioneers of photography in Britain and abroad had already produced stereoscopic images, it was [here] that the full potential of the medium became clear, as the lenticular stereoscopes manufactured in Paris by Dubosq and Soleil under the instructions of Brewster introduced a commercially viable way to promote stereoscopy, applauded by Queen Victoria herself.
来源：Thomas Richard Williams （CC BY-SA）
结构化信息、用户意见与 AI 提取的关系会分别标注。
Williams' family grew quite quickly. Shortly following his marriage in 1847 to Elizabeth Gorfin, she gave birth to their first daughter, Elisabeth Mary. Their family soon expanded to include twelve children, four of whom died in infancy.
Williams left Claudet's employ in the years following his marriage, most likely due to the increasing needs of his growing family. It is speculated he worked for renowned photographer Richard Beard after leaving Claudet, but research has yet to turn up anything definitive on that point.
He had, however, established his own photography business by 1851.
Soon his success allowed him to open a studio separate from his home, in Regent Street in 1854. With over twenty photography studios nearby competition was keen—and included his former mentor and teacher, Claudet. "Williams, with his characteristic discretion and low-key approach, did not advertise his business or put up large signs to attract clientele. It seems, though, that the gentry beat a path to his door, and his stereoscopic portraits became highly popular."
While the mainstay of his business was his stereoscopic (3-D) portraits, he was coming into his own with an artistic vision of what photography could and would become. He became one of the first photographers on record to shoot still life and other artistic compositions. These images became popular