First published in 1875, this book describes the history and science of photography, with an emphasis on the practical processes involved and their relation to the physical and chemical properties of light. Hermann Vogel (1834–1898), who pioneered the technology for colour photography, was Professor of Photography at the Royal Industrial Academy of Berlin. Here he explains the science of photography simply and concisely for a popular readership. The book has 100 illustrations, including both woodcuts and 'specimens of the latest discoveries in photography', intended to demonstrate the value of the technology to society. It traces the history of photography from its beginnings in experiments conducted by Davy and Wedgwood and the invention of the Daguerreotype to the most recent developments of Vogel's day. It was regarded as the most comprehensive guide to photography then available, and ran to several editions. This reissue is of the fourth edition of 1883.