Carrying off the palaces : John Ruskin's lost daguerreotypes / Ken Jacobson, Jenny Jacobson ; additional research on Italian daguerreotypists by Gabriella Bologna ; essay on conservation of daguerreotypes by Angels Arribas.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Acknowledgements - Picture Credits -- Preface: A Tale of Two Auctions -- 1. John Ruskin's Life -- 2. Picture-Making by Brush 8c Camera -- 3. Daguerreotyping in Rouen, the Alps 8c Venice -- 4. Frederick Crawley 8c the Daguerreotypes -- 5. The Daguerreotype -- 6. Ruskin's Artistic Circle 8c Photography -- 7. The Calotype 8c Beyond. Ruskin's Interest in -- Photographic Prints -- 8. John Ruskin, Studyist -- 9. Ruskin on Photography -- 10. Observer, Artist 8c Photographer -- Notes to the Chapters -- Catalogue Raisonne -- List of'Missing' Daguerreotypes -- Appendix I. Chronology -- Appendix II. Dates, Locations, Camera Operators - -- Following the Clues -- Appendix III. Conservation of the Penrith Collection -- Appendix IV. A Glossary of 19th-century Photographic -- Processes -- Appendix V. Ruskin's Manuscript Catalogue of -- Daguerreotypes -- Bibliography -- Index.

The inspiration for this book was a remarkable discovery made by the authors at a small country auction in 2006. One lightly regarded lot was a distressed mahogany box crammed with long-lost early photographs. These daguerreotypes were later confirmed as once belonging to John Ruskin, the great 19th-century art critic, writer, artist and social reformer. Moreover, the many scenes of Italy, France and Switzerland included the largest collection of daguerreotypes of Venice in the world and probably the earliest surviving photographs of the Alps. Core to this book is a fully illustrated catalogue raisonné of the 325 known John Ruskin daguerreotypes. The overwhelming majority of the newly-discovered plates are published here for the first time. There are an additional 276 illustrations in the text and an essay describing the technical procedures used in conserving Ruskin's photographs. Ten chapters extensively study Ruskin's photographic endeavours. A chronology, glossary, twenty-page bibliography and comprehensive index complete this handsome hardback book.