Today I've worked on one of the most gorgeous Autochrome plates I've seen. It was taken in colour about 116 years ago, and it depicts Suzanne Lumière - daughter of Louis Lumière who co-invented the Autochrome process. She is seated in a woodland glade, backlit with stunning depth of field, eating a bowl of cherries whilst wearing a striking red cardigan which complements the colour of the fruit beautifully. It is art, romanticism and technical brilliance rolled into one. They don't get much better than this. It was taken using the family's early colour glass-plate process and isn't colourised.

Born in 1835 and renowned for writing the adventures of Huckleberry Finn & Tom Sawyer, this is a rare colour photo of American author Mark Twain 118 years ago. He's wearing his Oxford University robes after receiving an honorary Doctorate of Letters degree from the University of Oxford on 26th June 1907. I have cleaned-up this Autochrome study by Alvin Langdon Coburn, which used an early colour glass-plate process. It's not colourised

Photographed in colour 111 years ago, this young lady is Mademoiselle Paquin, a young student at the domestic school in Nancy, France, during the Great War. I have cleaned-up this charming Autochrome portrait which was taken in May 1915 by Auguste Leon - and you would be correct in supposing that she was a classmate of the girl whose portrait I posted yesterday. This photo was taken in colour using an early colour glass-plate process and isn't colourised.

This very immediate gaze peers out at us from 111 years ago. Photographed in colour in May 1915, this young lady is Miss Rose Chapuy, a pupil at a Domestic School in Nancy, France (and looking very much like the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg!). I have cleaned up this wonderful Autochrome portrait by Auguste Leon, which was taken using an early colour glass-plate process and isn't colourised.

Being a big fan of the BBC series Ghosts, I went to the cinema this afternoon to see the movie version... and it was such an enjoyable experience. The audience laughed all the way through it, which was infectious, so I had many hearty laughs myself. Such a positive feel-good film. Highly recommended. So if you are umming & ahhing about going, do go. You'll enjoy it!

For those of you taken by the Autochrome post yesterday, of the model Sarah Liévine looking like wild-child in 1907, you may be fascinated to see this alternative Autochrome of her, taken the same year by the same photographer André Hachette, showing a more demure side to her character. This portrait was taken in colour 119 years ago using an early colour glass-plate process. It isn't colourised.

Edwardian ladies were so demure... or so the expectation goes, but this striking wild child of 1907 kicks against those expectations. This is Sarah Liévine, a model who became the subject of numerous Autochrome studies by the French pictorialist photographer André Hachette. This portrait was taken in colour 119 years ago, using an early colour glass-plate process. It isn't colourised.

Photographed in colour 112 years ago, I've cleaned-up this remarkable autochrome of Henri Lumiere, which was taken during the Great War by his father Auguste. It is such a casual, contemporary-looking photo I think it helps challenge our preconceptions of history. It was taken in colour in 1914 and isn't colourised.

A really beautifully lit Autochrome from 1910, entitled "Female Nude Leaning on Her Elbow", which capitalises on the Autochrome's great strength at capturing red light. I have cleaned and enhanced this stunning image by French photographer Gustave Gain, which utilises an early colour glass-plate process to capture genuine colour from 116 years ago. It is not colourised.

Not a Versace photoshoot, this portrait was taken 108 years ago, on Saturday 3rd March 1918. As the Great War raged, French photographer Paul Castlenau travelled to Arabia (in the area now known Jordan) to take this autochrome of Fayz Bey el Azm (one of the court entourage of Prince Faisal). Fayz Bey el Azm was a Syrian. Many people aren't aware of the incredible genetic diversity within Syria. Light features like blue eyes and blonde hair are completely native to the region and have been since ancient times. This portrait was taken using an early colour glass-plate process and isn't colourised.

This is a beautiful high quality book with large plates. I was lucky to receive it as a gift. Thoroughly recommend.....

I cannot recommend this beautiful book highly enough

Photographed in colour exactly 98 years ago this month - June 1928 - this beautiful Autochrome study of a German garden in Baden is a wondrous riot of colour. I love the 'Twenties flapper outfit with cloche hat and aqua marine scarf! It is original colour, taken by Wilhelm Tobien using an early colour glass-plate process. It isn't colourised. 😍