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Charles Harper Bennett

1840 – 1927

British photographer

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About Charles Harper Bennett

Lived 1840 – 1927 (aged 86–87). Charles Harper Bennett was a British photographer and inventor.

A mule keeps standing while its head is blown up with dynamite to demonstrate the speed of photography based on a new gelatin dry plate process by Charles Bennett. A photograph taken on 6 June 1881, published in Scientific American on September 24, 1881.

Charles Harper Bennett (born 1840 in London, died 1927 in Sydney) was an English photographic pioneer.

He improved the gelatin silver process developed by Richard Leach Maddox, first in 1873 by a method of hardening the emulsion, making it more resistant to friction, and later in 1878 Bennett discovered that by prolonged heating the sensitivity of the emulsion could be greatly increased. This increased sensitivity resulting enabled shooting at 1/25 second, paving the way for the snapshot.

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Important facts

Born
1840, Streatham
Birth century
Died
1927, Sydney
Also known as
Charles Bennett

People in Charles Harper Bennett's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Charles Harper Bennett's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Charles Harper Bennett?

British photographer

When was Charles Harper Bennett born?

Charles Harper Bennett was born in 1840 in Streatham.

When did Charles Harper Bennett die?

Charles Harper Bennett died in 1927 in Sydney.

What was Charles Harper Bennett's occupation?

Charles Harper Bennett was a photographer and inventor.

What nationality was Charles Harper Bennett?

Charles Harper Bennett was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Charles Harper Bennett

· Wikidata: Q2959314

· DBpedia: Charles Harper Bennett

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Charles Harper Bennett. https://biography.guide/charles-harper-bennett/

MLA: "Charles Harper Bennett." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/charles-harper-bennett/.

Chicago: "Charles Harper Bennett." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/charles-harper-bennett/.

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