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Constance Fox Talbot

1811 – 1880

British photographer

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About Constance Fox Talbot

Lived 1811 – 1880 (aged 69). Constance Fox Talbot was a British photographer.

Constance Talbot (née Mundy, 30 January 1811 – 9 September 1880) was an English artist credited as the first woman ever to take a photograph – a hazy image of a short verse by the Irish poet Thomas Moore.

Constance, who came from Markeaton in Derbyshire,

She married William Henry Fox Talbot, one of the key players in the development of photography in the 1830s and 1840s, in 1832. In 1833, during their honeymoon in Italy, her husband realised that her artistic abilities were superior to his, and began to develop a method to capture a view without draughtsmanship, which led to the negative-positive process of photography.

She briefly experimented with the process herself as early as 1839.

Her watercolours and drawings remained hidden at Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot's home, until they were digitised by the National Trust and made publicly available.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
Constance Mundy, Constance Talbot

Family & relationships

Spouse
William Henry Fox Talbot

People in Constance Fox Talbot's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Constance Fox Talbot's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Constance Fox Talbot?

British photographer (1811–1880)

When was Constance Fox Talbot born?

Constance Fox Talbot was born on 30 January 1811 in Markeaton.

When did Constance Fox Talbot die?

Constance Fox Talbot died on 9 September 1880 in London.

What was Constance Fox Talbot's occupation?

Constance Fox Talbot was a photographer.

What nationality was Constance Fox Talbot?

Constance Fox Talbot was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Constance Fox Talbot

· Wikidata: Q16063409

· DBpedia: Constance Fox Talbot

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Constance Fox Talbot. https://biography.guide/constance-fox-talbot/

MLA: "Constance Fox Talbot." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/constance-fox-talbot/.

Chicago: "Constance Fox Talbot." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/constance-fox-talbot/.

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