wˌaɪl ðɛɹwˌʌz sˌʌm kənsˈɜːn ðæt fətˈɑːɡɹəfi wʊd dɪstˈɔːɹt ðɪ ˈɪmɪdʒ, sˌɜː hˈɛnɹi sˈɛt ˈaʊt tʊ ɛksplˈoːɹ ðə pˌɑːsəbˈɪlᵻɾi ʌv jˈuːzɪŋ fətˈɑːɡɹəfi, sˈɛɾɪŋ ˌʌp ɐ fətˈɑːɡɹəfi dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt æt ðɪ ˈɔːɹdnəns sˈɜːveɪ ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti fˈaɪv ænd ˈɔːlsoʊ sᵻkjˈʊɹɹɪŋ fˈʌndz tə bˈɪld ðə "ɡlˈæshaʊs", ɐ fətˈɑːɡɹəfi bˈɪldɪŋ wɪð ɐn ˈɔːl ɡlˈæs ɹˈuːf tʊ ɐlˈaʊ æz mˈʌtʃ nˈætʃɚɹəl lˈaɪt ɪn æz pˈɑːsᵻbəl fɔːɹ fətˈɑːɡɹəfi.
While there was some concern that photography would distort the image, Sir Henry set out to explore the possibility of using photography, setting up a photography department at the Ordnance Survey in 1855 and also securing funds to build the "glasshouse", a photography building with an all glass roof to allow as much natural light in as possible for photography.