Photographers toured the world on photographic explorations that resulted in unique daguerreotypes in their compositions and revelations. John Mayall was the first representative of photography out of his exact expression of reality. In 1845, he exhibited the work Our Father, composed of ten daguerreotypes, with ladies of high society as models. Mayall's work was conceived from the allegorical framework, with the intention of giving his technical photography the same social function that painting had. His works failed to gain the approval of the critics who often associated his work with an attempt at photographic production born of an error. Buried by critics, John Mayall was followed by other photographers thirsty for being seen as great artists. Allegorical photography, which was practiced by Mayall among others, leveraged the production of more artistically elaborated themes and paved the way for the recognition of expressive works that shun realist reproduction, fostering aesthetic and compositional issues that until then were exclusively relevant in paintings.
