A note regarding the July 28 posting of DagNews:

   Although I usually reprint all items without commenting on the text, 
it may be wise for me to occasionally make editorial remarks when a 
particular text may lead to an error.  Thanks to astute reader Laurie 
Baty for a correction on the July 28th posting.  She writes:

    ". . . you might want to mention to readers is that Taft mis-read
    the information, [Draper's assumption that his portrait of his
    sister, Dorothy, was the first portrait from life] thus claiming the
    "first portrait" status."

The distinction of "first portrait" in America goes to Robert Cornelius 
of Philadelphia.  His self-portrait may or may not precede the portrait 
from life that was exhibited before the Academy of Science (in Paris) in 
October 1839 by Dr. Alfred Donne.  Donne's portrait is no longer extant.

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On this day, July 31, in the year 1842, the following two
advertisement appeared in "The Atlas" (New York):

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                   PHOTOGRAPHIC LIKENESSES.
                BY THE DAGUERREOTYPE PROCESS.
           M.D. VAN LOAN, successor to A.S. Wolcott
               UPPER STORY OF GRANITE BUILDING,
     Corner of Broadway and Chambers street, (entrance in
                       Chambers street,)
          Likenesses taken from 7 A.M. till sundown, in any
     kind of weather--clear, cloudy, or rainy.
          je29 1mdma   je26 3ma
-------------------------------------------------------------

                  J O H N   R O A C H,
                  (Late Roach & Warner)
                 O  P  T  I  C  I  A  N ,
          72 Nassau street, next door to John,
                       NEW YORK,
   Manufactures, and has on hand, Daguerreotype Appara-
tus and Materials, Barometers, Thermometors, Surveying
Compasses, &c. &c.
   Lenses ground to any curve required, and Glass blown
for Philosophical purposes.  Repairing carefully attended
to.
   Wholesale dealers supplied at low rates.       j103ma

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Posted for your enjoyment.       Gary W. Ewer      
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07-31-95