Knowledge

Photozincography of Domesday Book

Source đź“ť

81:, Sir Henry expressed his ability to produce photozincographic copies of ancient documents at "a very trifling cost". James outlined for his superiors the cost of a complete reproduction of Domesday Book (an estimate of ÂŁ1575 for 500 copies or ÂŁ3.3s per copy) using his process. In addition to this James further outlined the cost of a single county to demonstrate the affordability of the process, using Cornwall as an example of one of the shorter entries in the volumes (eleven folio pages) and estimated the cost of 500 copies to be ÂŁ11. 2s. 4d. In doing so he selected the first extract of Domesday Book that he would photozincograph. 136:
aforementioned counties’ photozincographing, and by December James had secured permission from the Treasury to copy the remainder of Great Domesday – but he was explicitly forbidden from reproducing Kent, in defence of Larking’s lithograph. By 1864 the facsimile of the entirety of Great Domesday had been completed, and had been published in 32 county volumes including Kent following Larking's death, who granted James permission to complete the reproduction of the county due to his infirmity in the final stages of his life.
21: 101: 130:
of Kent. Larking (a local antiquarian) had employed an artist to assist the reproduction of the county of Kent using the lithographic process – a much more expensive means of reproduction than photozincography. However, in order to secure this permission over Larking's process James had to provide
108:
On arrival at the Ordnance Survey offices in Southampton, Burtt expressed his satisfaction with the buildings' "fireproof principles, and…military guard", and was given use of the best room in the building in which Domesday was placed in a fireproof safe, and the key entrusted to Burtt. Burtt’s
135:
of Letts Son & Co. Limited, London distributed a circular nationally bearing a foreword from James encouraging subscription, and by late October more than fifty subscribers to each county had been amassed. On 28 November 1861 Burtt returned to Southampton once more with Domesday for the
109:
description of the preparations extends to the actual photozincographic process, including James’s insistence that all plates should be developed and printed before the folios were returned. Nevertheless, the photozincography of Cornwall was completed in 11 days and Burtt returned to
121:
Having completed Cornwall, James requested permission to photozincograph the rest of Domesday. Despite his claim that the public sale of the bound and engraved copies could cover the entire cost of the photozincography of the counties, the Lords of the Treasury wished to consult the
92:, one of the Assistant Keepers of the Records was directed to assist the Record Office binder, Hood, to unbind the relevant pages from Domesday and on Monday 4 February 1861 Burtt transported Domesday to Southampton by train. 268: 148:
The books which were printed by James's method are still sought after even if they are not up to the standard of later facsimiles. His edition of
152:
is still the only facsimile of it available and can be found reasonably cheaply, whereas the letterpress is extremely rare and very expensive.
54: 273: 168: 78: 189:
Domesday Book, or The Great Survey of England of William the Conqueror...Fac-Simile of the Part Relating to Cornwall
139:
The volumes were published in two colours (red and black), replicating the colours used in the original manuscript.
74: 278: 20: 283: 126:
regarding the comparison of James’s photozincographic reproductions with a rival process employed by
113:. The process was carried out in the Ordnance Survey photography building nicknamed the glasshouse. 123: 88:
fragment of Domesday as a Treasury funded experiment to determine the success of the process.
31: 46: 100: 127: 62: 73:
Having developed the photozincographic process, in a meeting arranged between James and
131:
the Treasury with evidence of public interest and a guarantee of low-cost production.
262: 42: 132: 89: 58: 104:
An 1865 map showing the photography building and the Ordnance Survey offices
84:
On 24 January 1861, Sir Henry was granted permission to photozincograph the
38: 85: 26: 110: 30:(published in 1862), showing entries for some of the landholdings of 99: 19: 24:
A page from the photozincographic edition of Domesday Book for
239:(Southampton: Ordnance Survey; London: H.M.S.O., 1992), p. 59 269:
Photographic processes dating from the 19th century
237:Ordnance Survey: Map Makers to Britain since 1791 191:, (Southampton: by H.M. Command, 1860), pp. 1-2 146: 53:), and was executed under the directorship of 8: 252:, (Wymondham: Brewhouse Press, 1970), p. 58 226:, (London: Guild Publishing, 1986), p. 155 204:, (London: Guild Publishing, 1986), p. 154 180: 224:Domesday Book: Through Nine Centuries 202:Domesday Book: Through Nine Centuries 7: 14: 250:Aspects of Victorian Lithography 45:was created by the process of 1: 169:Publication of Domesday Book 117:Permissions and difficulties 96:Domesday Book in Southampton 79:Chancellor of the Exchequer 300: 235:T. Owen & E. Pilbeam, 75:William Ewart Gladstone 37:In the 1860s the first 160: 105: 34: 213:PRO 1/25 16 Feb. 1861 103: 23: 128:Rev. Lambert Larking 274:History of printing 124:Master of the Rolls 106: 35: 157:G. Wakeman, 1970. 32:Glastonbury Abbey 291: 253: 246: 240: 233: 227: 220: 214: 211: 205: 198: 192: 185: 158: 47:photozincography 299: 298: 294: 293: 292: 290: 289: 288: 259: 258: 257: 256: 247: 243: 234: 230: 221: 217: 212: 208: 199: 195: 186: 182: 177: 165: 159: 156: 145: 119: 98: 71: 63:Ordnance Survey 61:offices of the 12: 11: 5: 297: 295: 287: 286: 281: 276: 271: 261: 260: 255: 254: 241: 228: 215: 206: 193: 179: 178: 176: 173: 172: 171: 164: 161: 154: 144: 141: 118: 115: 97: 94: 70: 69:Initial stages 67: 49:(later termed 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 296: 285: 282: 280: 279:Domesday Book 277: 275: 272: 270: 267: 266: 264: 251: 245: 242: 238: 232: 229: 225: 219: 216: 210: 207: 203: 197: 194: 190: 184: 181: 174: 170: 167: 166: 162: 153: 151: 150:Domesday Book 142: 140: 137: 134: 129: 125: 116: 114: 112: 102: 95: 93: 91: 87: 82: 80: 76: 68: 66: 64: 60: 56: 52: 48: 44: 43:Domesday Book 40: 33: 29: 28: 27:Somersetshire 22: 18: 16: 249: 248:G. Wakeman, 244: 236: 231: 223: 218: 209: 201: 196: 188: 183: 149: 147: 138: 133:Thomas Letts 120: 107: 90:Joseph Burtt 83: 72: 50: 36: 25: 17: 15: 284:1860s works 222:E. Hallam, 200:E. Hallam, 59:Southampton 55:Henry James 263:Categories 187:H. James, 175:References 39:facsimile 163:See also 155:—  86:Cornwall 77:, then 57:at the 111:London 143:Today 51:zinco 41:of 265:: 65:.

Index


Somersetshire
Glastonbury Abbey
facsimile
Domesday Book
photozincography
Henry James
Southampton
Ordnance Survey
William Ewart Gladstone
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Cornwall
Joseph Burtt

London
Master of the Rolls
Rev. Lambert Larking
Thomas Letts
Publication of Domesday Book
Categories
Photographic processes dating from the 19th century
History of printing
Domesday Book
1860s works

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.

↑