A Higher Branch of the Art: Photographing the Fine Arts in England, 1839-1880

Gordon & Breach Publishers, 1996. First edition. Blue cloth with gilt titles on spine. Some bumping to corners and edges and some light spotting to cloth. Contents tight and clean with no inscriptions or markings. 542pp with colour plates at rear. Dust jacket is good with minor edge-wear and some internal spotting. This is a very heavy book so please check postage with bookseller.
Between 1839 and 1880, photography and photographic techniques became evident and influential in all walks of life. In one particular area of endeavor, this new medium's potential became very evident. Photography would change the study of art forever.
Using the camera to record and preserve great works of art, these new historians transformed the study of art from a type of connoisseurship to the present-day study of art history. Unfortunately, until now, twentieth-century scholars in general have failed to recognize the contributions of these early photographs and photographers to art history
Pioneering the study of an important area of history and photo historical studies, A Higher Branch of The Art is an essential reference book for any art library, and should be required reading for students of art history. This book pinpoints photography's significant role in the development of the way we study art. from the blurb.