Photograph (Collodion Glass Negative) of the Moon, Probably by Warren De la Rue, October 3, 1857

Collodion glass negative, broken. The full moon, thought to have been taken through De la Rue's 13-inch reflector (which later came to the University Observatory, Oxford). The plate is approximately 2½ by 3 inches, and the moon's disc 1 and an eighth (29mm) diameter. Dark features are clearly visible on the moon (light in the negative, though being collodion it can be viewed positively against a dark background), but no actual detials or relief features (compare 71101). Two fragments of dark grey paper adhering to the emulsion side imply that it has been backed or mounted for positive viewing at some time. The emulsion is cracked, perhaps as a consequence of this, the crack affecting the moon image. The plate is broken, a large triangular piece at top left being missing, removing a small segment of the moon's limb and most of a paper label along the top. A paper label below the image gives details of date, time, and weather conditions, and the exposure time of 7 seconds.