Jabez Hogg

Born in Chatham, Kent, on April 4, 1817, he trained in medicine after an apprenticeship and later became an ophthalmic surgeon in London. He is remembered especially for his work at the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital and for helping to introduce readers to the practical use of the microscope.

His best-known book, The Microscope: Its History, Construction, and Applications, went through many editions and helped make microscopical science accessible to a wide audience. He also wrote on eye disease and the use of the ophthalmoscope, showing how closely his writing was tied to his medical practice.

Hogg also had a place in early photographic history. He was active in photography in the 1840s, and a daguerreotype showing him at work is noted as the earliest known photograph of a photographer in action. He died on April 23, 1899.