From The Mentor (New York: The Mentor Association) Vol. 6, No. 12 (1 August 1918) serial No. 160: "Photography", leaf one. PHOTOGRAPHYA Daguerreotype OUIS JACQUES MANDE DAGUERRE (born 1789, died 1851), was a great French scene-painter who experimented for many years trying to find some way of rendering permanent the image projected by a lens. J. NicŽphore NiŽpce was engaged in the same research, and from 1829 until the death of Niepce in 1833 the two worked together, but it was not until some years after the latter date that Daguerre discovered the process that hears his name. This process may be briefly described as follows: a highly polished and

perfectly clean silver plate is rendered sensitive to light by the formation of a deposit of silver iodide on the surface, this being accomplished by exposing the plate—of course in the dark—for some minutes to the vapor of iodine. When the plate has assumed a uniform golden-brown color it is placed in the camera and the exposure is made, the light projected by the lens causing a chemical change to take place in the silver iodide. The image thus obtained is very weak, and in order to strengthen it the plate is exposed for some minutes to the vapor of mercury. It is subsequently fixed, or rendered permanent, by bathing with a solution of sodium thiosulphate (ordinarily known to photographers as "hypo"). This dissolves the silver compounds that were not affected by light. In some cases the picture is still further strengthened by treating it with chloride of gold. This not only increases the vigor of the image but at the same time improves its stability, so that it is less likely to fade as the result of atmospheric action or exposure to light. The effect of the chloride of gold is literally to gold-plate the image. As the surface of the completed daguerreotype is very sensitive to any mechanical action, it must be protected by glass. A mere touch of the finger leaves an irremediable scratch.    The daguerreotype was at one time very popular for portraiture, but the process has certain drawbacks that have caused it to be superseded by improved methods. Among these drawbacks are the following: The exposures required are rather long; it is impossible to make duplicates—a separate exposure must be made for each picture; the picture must be held at a certain angle to make it visible, and the process is rather expensive and laborious to work. Nevertheless, exquisite effects may be obtained in daguerreotype; the writer has seen pictures of this kind which for sheer beauty yield to none of the modern printing mediums.    The decadence of the daguerreotype is to be regretted for at least one reason,—the man who elected to work in that medium was necessarily at least a craftsman, whereas at the present time many photographers are neither artists nor craftsmen, but merely mechanics of only fair skill. Photography has been brought to such a state of perfection that good technical results may be obtained by persons that work by rote and know absolutely nothing of the principles underlying the craft. This lack of training and enthusiasm for the work must evidently be reflected in the results obtained.    There are few forms of portraiture art that equal in beauty choice early examples of daguerreotype photography. They have the exquisite delicacy, softness and individual charm of the best miniature portraits. Good old daguerreotypes are treasured possessions in the homes of many families—and rightly so, for they combine a fine quality of art with a gentle personal appeal. Written for the Mentor by Paul L. Anderson Illustration for The Mentor, Vol. 6, No. 12, Serial No. 160 (End of text. Please refer to our textnote regarding this text.) Return to: Commentary   Daguerreian texts index