On this day (May 28) in the year 1853, the following appeared in the
Illustrated News (New York):
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A quarter-page wood-engraving illustration of "Lucy Stone--From a
daguerreotype by Brady" accompanies the article regarding the work of
the "native of West Brookfield...for the cause of those considered by
her the oppressed."
"She recently gave two lectures in Metropolitan Hall, in this city,
on the claims of women. In the first, she argued that. Since man and
woman have the same physical, mental and moral parts, and since
whatever supplies these parts, is as expensive for woman as for man,
there ought, of right, to be for her, equal facilities for obtaining
their supply--she should be denied no industrial pursuits for which she
has taste and capacity; instead of being confined to the needle, and the
schoolroom, and receiving the meager compensation which must always
result, when any kinds of labor are overstocked with workers, she should
be admitted with printers, jewelers, daugerrean artists, designers,
post-masters, ticket-masters at the railway stations, phrenologists,
merchants, physicians, lawyers, ministers, sculptors and painter. In a
word, the sphere of her activity should be bounded only be her capacity,
for where God has conferred a power, there also is His certificate of
the right to its use in harmony with the law of benevolence. Whatever
woman can do and do well, either by head or hand, she has a right to
do."
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also in the same issue is a quarter-page wood engraving of the "RUINS OF
THE FALLEN BUILDING, BUFFALO, N.Y. [From a Daguerreotype by Evans.]
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In the advertisements under the header "DAGUERREOTYPES":
T H E L O V E R ' S S O L I L O Q U Y
Go search the Indian wave for pearls,
To deck your high-born maiden,
Or dig Golconda's diamond sands,
With priceless treasures laden;
Go gather myrrh and frankincense,
And sweet Arabian spices,
And cluster round your "heart's delight."
Love's wildest of devices;
I'll give to her whom I adore
By far an offering richer--
My face, all dressed in Lover's smiles,
In ROOT'S fair Crayon picture!
ROOT'S Gallery, No. 363, Broadway.
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Also today, in the year 1853, the following appeared in the "Scientific
American" (New York):
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Daguerreotype Hat Crowns.
These specimens of art are daily finding some new position in which
to exhibit their beauty and perfection. They are now place in the tops
or crowns of hats, and kept in that position by a very simple
contrivance for the purpose. The daguerreotype tops will not be more
expensive than the French paintings which are at present employed. This
arrangement is the invention of Thomas Rafferty and Henry G. Leask, of
New York City, who have taken measures to secure a patent for the
improvement.
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(Also in the same issue, accompanied by a wood engraving illustration of
a thermoplastic Masher case:)
MASHER'S STEREOSCOPE
The annexed engraving is a perspective view of a most beautiful
invention relating to the daguerreotype art, invented by J. F. Mascher
of Philadelphia, and for which a patent was granted on the 8th of last
March. The improvements consists in converting the daguerreotype case
into a stereoscope, by a very simple arrangement of having a
supplementary lid or flap, in which are two ordinary lenses.
Two daguerreotype pictures are taken at an angle of about 25 or 30
degrees, on the right and left of the centre, and placed as shown in the
case, In the supplementary lid or flap, are placed two glasses of short
focal distance, like those of an opera glass. By looking through these,
the person whose likeness is taken, stands out solid and life-like, no
more resembling a common picture, than a statue does an oil paining.
These cases are made so that the pictures are placed in the right
position, and the lenses set at the proper focal distance to produce
binocular vision.
We believe it was Prof. Wheatstone, of London, who first made the
discovery of the stereoscope, which was afterwards greatly improved by
Sir David Brewster, and by him first applied to produce binocular with
daguerreotype pictures. But the stereoscope of Brewster is a separate
instrument from the daguerreotype case, is much larger and costs five or
six dollars, while Mr. Mascher has applied that beautiful and wonderful
principle of optics to the daguerreotype case itself, and here it is
introduced to our American readers as one of the most delightful and
pleasing improvements connected with the fine arts.
To show the benefit of having a good paper devoted to improvements in
the arts, we would state that this excellent invention, but for the
Scientific American , would perhaps not have been made. On page 266,
Vol. 7, Scientific American , we described the principle of binocular
vision, and the operations of the stereoscope. This set the inventive
mind of Mr. Mascher on the right track, and on page 322, same Vol., we
published his letter, stating that from the description he had read in
our columns, he had produced the first solid daguerreotype pictures in
Philadelphia (and we believe in the United States.)--Shortly after that
he converted the common daguerreotype case into a stereoscope as now
presented in the accompanying engraving.
In a short period, no person, we believe, while have a likeness taken
by a daguerreotypist but stereoscopically. As these cases are no larger
that the old kind, who would have a flat picture to look at, when the
solid life-like likeness can thus be produced. No one can have the
least idea of the beauty of this invention, until he sees such pictures
with his eyes. By this improvement, husbands will, when thousands of
miles separate, be enabled to see their wives standing before them in
breathing beauty, wives their husbands, and lover, their sweethearts.
It is a noble and elevating art, which perpetuates to posterity the
looks of those we love or revere; this improvement will enable us to
look upon the loved and respected when far away, or when they are in the
tomb; it will enable us to see them as they once were with us, and
prosperity with know how they and ourselves looked without trusting to
the flattery or faults of a limner's pencil.
More information may be obtained by letter addressed to Mr. Mascher,
408 North 2nd street, Philadelphia.
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Posted for your enjoyment. Gary W. Ewer
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05-28-95 |
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