author
Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney
1843–1920
A pioneer of photography who helped push the camera beyond visible light, he combined scientific curiosity with practical invention. His work ranged from infrared studies and color photography to surveying tools that carried his name.
3 Audiobooks
The Art and Practice of Silver Printing
by H. P. (Henry Peach) Robinson, Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney
Colour vision : Being the Tyndall Lectures delivered in 1894 at the Royal Institution
by Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney
Colour Measurement and Mixture
by Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney
About the author
Born in Derby on July 24, 1843, Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney built an unusually wide career as a soldier, scientist, and photographer. He trained with the Royal Engineers, served in India, and later taught at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham, where his technical interests deepened into serious scientific work.
Abney became especially known for the chemistry of photography. He developed more sensitive photographic emulsions, used them to extend photographic mapping of the solar spectrum into the infrared, and wrote influential books and articles that helped explain photography to both specialists and general readers. He also gave his name to the Abney level, a surveying instrument still remembered today.
Over time he gained recognition far beyond military circles, serving in leading scientific societies and earning honors including election as a Fellow of the Royal Society. He died on December 3, 1920, leaving a legacy that connects Victorian photography, astronomy, and practical measurement in one remarkable life.