1857 Hugh Miller Portrait Photograph

1856. Hugh Miller, Scottish geologist and palaeontologist. Born 1802 died 1856. Photographic frontispiece of author by J.G. Tunny in some first... more

by Paul D Stewart

Title

1857 Hugh Miller Portrait Photograph

Artist

Paul D Stewart

Medium

Photograph

Description

1856. Hugh Miller, Scottish geologist and palaeontologist. Born 1802 died 1856. Photographic frontispiece of author by J.G. Tunny in some first editions of Miller's posthumous 1857 book Testimony of the Rocks; or geology in its bearing on the two theologies, natural and revealed". Gernsheim, "Incunabala of British Photographic literature", p.67, cites this as the first book to ever include a photograph of its author. Miller was a stonesmason who went on to become a self-trained geologist/author. He is particularly associated with the mainly Devonian 'old red sandstone' of Scotland. His suicide while preparing to publish this book, diminished his reputation and some say damaged geology as a victorian hobby. Often cited as a fevered result of a conflict between science and religion - his brief suicide note seems to suggest he was scared of injuring his family during delusions (psychosis)."

Uploaded

May 11th, 2013