'A Mountain Dew Girl: Killarney'

A carte-de-visite portrait of a smiling Irish colleen.

Although unidentified here, the photograph was taken by Henry Peach Robinson. It was the first Woodburytype to be published and was presented with the Photographic News on 26 January 1866. The accompanying article began: 'We present our readers this week with the first issued example of a process by which photographic half-tone can be secured by mechanical printing.' An extensive explanation outlining the technical aspects of the new process followed. 'The subject - "A Mountain Dew Girl: Kirllarney," photographed from life by Mr H. P. Robinson, who kindly lent the negative for the occasion - was selected for the double purpose of presenting our readers with a pleasing picture, and forming a crucial test for the process, which is necessarily much more severely tried with a figure subject, than by a subject chosen to suit the process.'

This example in carte-de-visite format was published by Gregory of Loughborough in Leicestershire.