Frederick Archer

Type: Person

As of November 2026, Frederick Archer has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Today I Found Out (Jan 2026). Credited with introducing the collodion wet plate process, a major leap in sharpness and practicality compared with earlier paper negatives.

Frederick Scott Archer was an English chemist, photographer, inventor and sculptor who is best known for having invented the photographic collodion process which preceded the dry gelatin emulsion used on plates and films. He was born in Hertford, within the county of Hertfordshire, England and is remembered mainly for this single achievement which greatly increased the accessibility of photography for the general public.