An opportunity to catch up with old friends and colleagues, deepen relationships, learn, socialize and celebrate accomplishments while sharing a common passion. Photos by Carlos Vertanessian. 

This is your once-a-year chance to reconnect with old friends and colleagues…and to make new connections with other people who understand the all-out thrill of sharing great photographic images from the past…people who share the way you feel about the vivid, time-travel experiences offered by 19th-century photography.

Audience members engage with leading authorities on 19th-century photography.  Photo by Carlos Vertanessian

Here are some of the events that you'll enjoy when you participate in Hartford 2025:

• A festive opening reception for attendees only, right at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
• Talks by expert speakers presenting important discoveries and new research, showing seldom-seen images and offering new insights into photography’s beginnings
• A photo fair with veteran dealers and newcomers offering more daguerreotypes and 19th-century photographs than can be seen anywhere. Buy, sell, trade, or just look and learn – it’s an opportunity that only comes along once a year.
• A grand banquet with a live auction and silent auction featuring exceptional images
• Room-hopping to catch up with friends and see what’s on the market
• And behind-the-scenes viewings of photography collections at leading cultural institutions, led by their curators
  
  

Behind-the-scenes viewings provide rare access to museum-quality images and experts.  Photos by David S. Fondiller and Carlos Vertanessian

Registrants gain early access to the Photo Fair before it opens to the public.  Photos by Carlos Vertanessian, David S. Fondiller and Jo Ann Kraus

Block out the time on your calendar…then register for the Symposium and make your room reservation for a stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hartford Downtown at a special rate (reserve by August 13 for the special rate as rooms are limited). Our official host hotel, the Hartford Marriott Downtown, is already fully booked. 

Members who register early save $. So what are you waiting for?? See you in Hartford!

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, where Thursday’s opening reception and Friday's talks will be held. At right, Allen Phillips, a longtime Daguerreian Society member and curator of the museum's new exhibition on "The Scenic Daguerreotype in America 1840–1860."  Sources: Public Art CT, Carlos Vertanessian

Behind-the-Scenes Institution Visits

Our lineup of museum and institution visits will include private tours of several 19th-century photography collections. Click here for details! 

Expert Talks

This year’s presenters bring fresh perspectives on 19th-century photography. You’ll discover unseen Native American portraits, get access to hidden gems in a major institutional collection, and learn how artificial intelligence can help identify people in early photographs. Click here for details!

Photo Fair

The Daguerreian Society Photo Fair will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2025 in the Marriott Ballroom of the Hartford Marriott Downtown, 200 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford, CT. It is open to Symposium attendees as well as the public.

Symposium attendees and members: 9 am early admission. Entry cost ($10) included with conference registration.

General admission: 10 am - 4 pm, $10. 

Registration

To register for the conference, click here. By registering, you receive all the program highlights mentioned above. Further details will follow in emails and Daguerreian Society Quarterly issues.

A summary of the registration options is as follows. Early registration typically ends a month before the event.