author

John A. Tennant

A key early voice in photography publishing, he helped make darkroom technique and photographic craft more accessible to everyday readers. He is best remembered for editing and publishing The Photo-Miniature, a long-running magazine devoted to practical and artistic photography.

1 Audiobook

Bromide Printing and Enlarging

Bromide Printing and Enlarging

by John A. Tennant

About the author

John A. Tennant was a photographer, editor, and publisher associated with some of the early popular writing on photography in the United States. Project Gutenberg identifies him as John A. Tennant (1868–1957) and lists his 1911 book Photography at Home, a practical handbook for camera use and darkroom work.

He is best known for publishing The Photo-Miniature, which the UNC Charlotte finding aid describes as one of the first magazines devoted exclusively to photography. Issued monthly from 1899 to 1935, the magazine focused mainly on technical subjects, while also making room for photography history and discussions of photography as an art.

Reliable biographical details are limited, but UNC Charlotte's collection notes suggest that his family was probably from Darlington, England, that he later moved to New York City, and that Roman Catholicism remained an important part of his life. The same archive also points to wide personal interests beyond photography, including music and travel.