Scottish photographer John Thomson (1837-1921) is renowned for his pioneering book Street Life in London, widely regarded as a classic of social documentary and as laying the foundations for today's photojournalism. In a career which also included a series of outstanding photographic portfolios - shot in challenging conditions - documenting life, landscape and architecture in the Far East, followed by a successful studio portraiture business in London, Thomson also took time to translate and edit this edition of Gaston Tissandier's book. First published in 1876, it became a standard reference work of the period, and blends a concise and highly readable history of the invention and development of photography with a uniquely readable account of late 19th century photographic practice, at a time when the making of a single new image could be measured in hours rather than seconds. A History and Handbook of Photography is a classic text providing a detailed and accessible insight into the thinking and working of photographers of the period.