The Magazine of Science, and School of Arts

27 April 1839

Shoults Eb 1840 M

London: W. Brittain

The Magazine of Science (1840-1849)was another attempt to reach a working-class audience, this time with a focus on science and industry. Its editor, George William Francis, later served as director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The 27 April 1839 cover presents a remarkable meeting of two modes of visual representation. Henry Fox Talbot had recently made public his experiments in ‘photogenic drawing’ – one of the earliest photographic processes. Francis copied Fox Talbot’s procedure, then presented his own works to his wood engravers, who produced woodcuts that imitated the new technology. In this way, readers unable to see Fox Talbot’s creations in person could at least have a sense of their characteristics.