The Negative Image before the Photographic Negative

Abstract

ABSTRACT In photography, a negative is an image that presents a reversed grading of tonalities with respect to the subject. This tone inversion is the direct consequence of the light-sensitive silver halide compound used to capture an image in a camera: it darkens in areas that are exposed to the brightest parts of the subject. These inverted images intrigued early practitioners of photography, who learned to use them as an intermediary in the process of producing multiple photographic prints. Thus, the practice of photography popularized the negative to a wide audience. Today, the history of the negative image is intimately linked to that of photography to such an extent that the negative image is sometimes considered a purely photographic object. However, both black-and-white and color negative images were observed and described long before the era of photography. This paper explores the earliest manifestations of negative images, the relevant terminology introduced by the first photographers, and the relationship of the negative to the production of multiple photographic prints.