Portret van een onbekende man - Early photography, Public domain image

Richard Beard (1801-1885) was an English entrepreneur and photographer. He is best known for his contributions to the early development of photography. Beard was a businessman who worked with inventor William Henry Fox Talbot to promote and commercialise the daguerreotype process in England. The daguerreotype was one of the earliest photographic processes and Beard opened the first daguerreotype studio in England in 1841. He later formed a partnership with Fox Talbot, who was known for his work on the calotype process, another early photographic technique. Together they founded the Daguerreotype Company in 1841. Beard was involved in promoting photography and organising exhibitions. However, his collaboration with Fox Talbot eventually ended in a legal dispute over patent rights. Despite this, Beard continued his involvement in photography. It's worth noting that the history of early photography involves the contributions of various individuals, and Beard played a role in the early commercialisation and popularisation of the daguerreotype process in England.