William Henry Fox Talbot

British inventor and photographer (1800–1877)
Person human Q299565
William Henry Fox Talbot
Antoine Claudet · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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William Henry Fox Talbot

Summary

William Henry Fox Talbot is a human[1]. His place of birth was Dorset[2]. He was born on February 11, 1800[3]. He passed away in Lacock[4]. He died on September 17, 1877[5]. He worked as a patent inventor[6], photographer[7], anthropologist[8], politician[9], and inventor[10]. He ranks in the top 0.71% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (626 views/month, #7,151 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • William Henry Fox Talbot's place of birth was Dorset[2].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's place of birth was Melbury Sampford[12].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot passed away in Lacock[4].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot was born on February 11, 1800[3].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot died on September 17, 1877[5].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot is buried at Lacock cemetery[13].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's father was William Davenport Talbot[14].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's mother was Elizabeth Theresa Fox- Strangways[15].
  • Among William Henry Fox Talbot's spouses was Constance Fox Talbot[16].
  • A child of William Henry Fox Talbot was Charles Henry Talbot[17].
  • A child of William Henry Fox Talbot was Ella Talbot[18].
  • A child of William Henry Fox Talbot was Rosamond Constance Talbot[19].
  • A child of William Henry Fox Talbot was Matilda Caroline Talbot[20].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot held citizenship in Kingdom of Great Britain[21].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot held citizenship in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland[22].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot worked as a patent inventor[6].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's professions included photographer[7].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot worked as an anthropologist[8].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot worked as a politician[9].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's professions included inventor[10].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot worked as a chemist[23].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's field of work was experimental physics[24].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's field of work was stereo photography[25].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's field of work was philosophy[26].
  • William Henry Fox Talbot's field of work was Egyptology[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Recorded place of birth include Dorset[2], a ceremonial county of England[28], in United Kingdom[29] and Melbury Sampford[12], a civil parish[30], in United Kingdom[31]. William Henry Fox Talbot was born on February 11, 1800[3]. His father was William Davenport Talbot[14]. His mother was Elizabeth Theresa Fox- Strangways[15].

Education

Educated at Harrow School[32], a public school[33], in United Kingdom[34], founded in 1572[35] and Trinity College[36], a college of the University of Cambridge[37], in United Kingdom[38], founded in 1546[39], headquartered in Cambridge[40].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include patent inventor[6], photographer[7], anthropologist[8], politician[9], inventor[10], and chemist[23]. Fields of work include experimental physics[24], an academic discipline[41]; stereo photography[25], founded in 1840[42]; philosophy[26], an academic discipline[43]; Egyptology[27], an academic discipline[44]; mathematics[45], an academic discipline[46]; and physics[47], a branch of science[48]. Positions held include member of the 11th Parliament of the United Kingdom[49], a position[50], in United Kingdom[51], founded in 1832[52] and High Sheriff of Wiltshire[53], a position[54], in Kingdom of England[55].

Recognition

Awards received include Fellow of the Royal Society[56], Royal Medal[57], Rumford Medal[58], Royal Society Bakerian Medal[59], Porson Prize[60], and honorary doctor of the University of Edinburgh[61].

Personal Life

William Henry Fox Talbot was married to Constance Fox Talbot[16]. Children include Charles Henry Talbot[17], an artist[62], 1842–1916[63], of United Kingdom[64]; Ella Talbot[18], 1836–1893[65]; Rosamond Constance Talbot[19], 1837–1906[66]; and Matilda Caroline Talbot[20], b. 1839[67].

Death and Burial

William Henry Fox Talbot died on September 17, 1877[5]. He passed away in Lacock[4]. He is buried at Lacock cemetery[13].

Works and Contributions

Things named for William Henry Fox Talbot include Talbot effect[68], a physical phenomenon[69]; lumen second[70], a coherent SI unit[71]; Talbot[72], a lunar crater[73]; and Talbot Glacier[74], a glacier[75].

Why It Matters

William Henry Fox Talbot ranks in the top 0.71% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (626 views/month, #7,151 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 24 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[76] He is known by 66 alternative names across languages and contexts.[77]

He is credited with the discovery of calotype[78], a photographic technique[79]; Talbot effect[80], a physical phenomenon[81]; and cliché verre[82]. Works attributed to him include The Pencil of Nature[83], a written work[84]. Entities named for him include Talbot effect[68], a physical phenomenon[69]; lumen second[70], a coherent SI unit[71]; Talbot[72], a lunar crater[73]; and Talbot Glacier[74], a glacier[75].

FAQs

Where was William Henry Fox Talbot born?

William Henry Fox Talbot was born in Dorset[2].

Where did William Henry Fox Talbot die?

William Henry Fox Talbot passed away in Lacock[4].

Who were William Henry Fox Talbot's parents?

William Henry Fox Talbot's father was William Davenport Talbot[14]. William Henry Fox Talbot's mother was Elizabeth Theresa Fox- Strangways[15].

Who was William Henry Fox Talbot married to?

William Henry Fox Talbot's spouses include Constance Fox Talbot[16].

What did William Henry Fox Talbot do for work?

William Henry Fox Talbot worked as patent inventor[6], photographer[7], anthropologist[8], politician[9], and inventor[10].

Where did William Henry Fox Talbot go to school?

William Henry Fox Talbot was educated at Harrow School[32] and Trinity College[36].

What awards did William Henry Fox Talbot receive?

Honors received include Fellow of the Royal Society[56], Royal Medal[57], Rumford Medal[58], and Royal Society Bakerian Medal[59].

What did William Henry Fox Talbot discover?

William Henry Fox Talbot is credited as discoverer of calotype[78], Talbot effect[80], and cliché verre[82].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . wikidata.org.
  2. [12] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  3. [4] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  4. [14] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  5. [15] . Q75653886. wikidata.org.
  6. [16] . Q75653886. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  7. [21] . wikidata.org.
  8. [22] . LIBRIS. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  9. [49] . Hansard 1803–2005. wikidata.org.
  10. [53] . The London Gazette 19819. wikidata.org.
  11. [17] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  12. [18] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  13. [19] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  14. [20] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  15. [32] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  16. [36] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  17. [24] . wikidata.org.
  18. [25] . wikidata.org.
  19. [26] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  20. [27] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  21. [45] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  22. [47] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  23. [6] . wikidata.org.
  24. [7] . Union List of Artist Names. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  25. [8] . wikidata.org.
  26. [9] . Hansard 1803–2005. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  27. [10] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  28. [23] . wikidata.org.
  29. [13] . Find a Grave. wikidata.org.
  30. [56] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  31. [57] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  32. [58] . royalsociety.org. royalsociety.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  33. [59] . wikidata.org.
  34. [60] . wikidata.org.
  35. [61] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  36. [3] . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  37. [5] . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [78] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [80] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [82] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [83] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [68] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [70] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [72] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [74] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [52] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [62] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [79] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [81] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [84] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [69] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [71] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [73] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [75] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [76] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [77] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). William Henry Fox Talbot. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/william-henry-fox-talbot
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BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_william-henry-fox-talbot_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{William Henry Fox Talbot}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/william-henry-fox-talbot}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-10}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 14d ago · Quesotiotyo · 2026-05-20 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14397 4658
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P14397]]: 4658, [[:toollabs:quickstatements/#/batch/258229|batch #258229]]"
  2. 14d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-20 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Educated at Harrow School, Trinity College
    Languages spoken, written or signed English
    Child Charles Henry Talbot, Ella Talbot, Rosamond Constance Talbot +1
    Member of
    + 43 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/32083|batch #32083]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (25)"
Live feed via Wikidata EventStreams. New edits appear within minutes of being made on Wikidata.