Talbot emphasized the practical implications of his images (for instance, "The whole cabinet of a Virtuoso and collector of old China might be depicted on paper in little more time than it would take him to make a written inventory describing it in the usual way.
Talbot underscored the real-world applications of his visual representations (such as "A Virtuoso and collector of old China's entire collection could be captured on paper more swiftly than he might compile a written inventory detailing its contents in the usual manner."