Henry Ward (Torquay) n.d. Backmark for "Ward & Co. Pistolgraphists"
Carte de visite, back Paul Frecker Henry Ward describes himself as a 'Pistolgraphist' rather than a photographer. First developed in 1856 by Thomas Skaife of Greenwich, the pistolgraph was a small, instantaneous camera which used springs and rubber bands to produce a shutter speed of only 1/10th of a second. With its trigger-like release, the camera slightly resembled a pistol, hence its name. Skaife himself was nearly arrested when he attempted to photograph Queen Victoria with his invention.
