A contract signed by Henry Fox Talbot was sold at auction in Chippenham last week.

The 1846 legal document, written on pig skin, details the exchange of land between the local photography pioneer and his cousin, Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.

Henry Fox Talbot created the very first negative in 1835 and is commemorated at the museum at Lacock Abbey, the home of his father William Davenport Talbot.

The indenture came into the Chippenham Auction Rooms saleroom from someone who inherited it from a friend.

It went under the hammer on September 20 and sold for £180 to an anonymous buyer.

Auctioneer Richard Edmonds said: “Vellum was a material often used by previous generations for important documents such as wills and indentures.

“Any historical document creates a certain degree of interest, however when it ties in with such an important figure, coupled to the auction taking place so close to the birthplace of photography, it creates a real buzz around the saleroom.”