Arguably, few 19th century inventions have enjoyed the sustained popularity of photography. The origins of the medium are equally fascinating. Unlike other technological advances of the Industrial Revolution, photography was not so much an invention as it was a series of experiments conducted by various ingenious individuals, each with different skills and areas of expertise that ultimately led to its development and widespread acceptance. The Frenchmen Joseph Nicéphore Nicépce and Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, as well as William Henry Fox Talbot, an Englishman and amateur scientist, made substantial contributions that merit citation and discussion. Their pioneering efforts distinguished them as the architects of photography.
It's difficult to imagine the astonishment Joseph Nicéphore Nicépce's discovery caused in 1826 when he made the world's first photographic image on a thin sheet of pewter with a mixture of asphalt and lavender oil. (London, 173) Nicépce's prior experience with the camera obscura, an artist's drawing tool, inspired his efforts to find a method of capturing images permanently. His experiments, which included working with mixtures like silver chloride and later bitumen of Judea, can be considered the genesis of photography and his initial success led others to develop the new medium further.
Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre became Nicépce's partner and continued to experiment with the new technology. After Nicépce's death, Daguerre's process of transferring an image onto a polished, silver plated copper sheet, known as the daguerreotype, was announced at the French Academy of Sciences on January 7, 1839 (London 174).
If Nicépce's images, called sun drawings, can be thought of as a period of insemination and gestation in the timeline of photography's evolution, then the introduction of the daguerreotype can be seen as the medium's parturition and infancy.
A marvelous example of the rich tonality and crisp detail of the daguerreotype process evidenced in the only known photograph of Emily Dickinson taken by an unknown photographer circa 1847 when the famous poet was only seventeen. In addition to its historical merit the portrait also demonstrates an awareness of portrait lighting. The subject, though clad in a dark colored dress, maintains a separation from the black backdrop most likely caused by a light source, direct or reflected, pointed at the subject's back. A reflection in the eyes informs us that a light source was placed to the camera's right. Exposure times, though less than a minute, required the subject to remain motionless, a requirement that would "demand a quiet dignity on the part of the subject." (London 175)
Shortly after Daguerre's announcement, William Henry Fox Talbot presented his approach of capturing an image on paper instead of metal, making the collecting of large numbers of images more feasible. Unlike daguerreotypes, Talbot's process, which he called calotypes, had the advantage of allowing for the production of multiple, identical images from the same original.
William Henry Fox Talbot, by John Moffat, 1864. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In a process now known as contact printing, Talbot used light sensitive paper to create a latent negative image. Using silver iodide, the same light sensitive element in the daguerreotype process, and gallo nitrate of silver, he then placed another sheet of sensitized paper in contact with the latent negative and exposed it to light again. But, there were also disadvantages "because the print was made through the paper of a negative, the calotype lacked the sharp detail of the daguerreotype." (London 176)
While Talbot's instinct to transfer an image to paper instead of metal opened a new avenue of thinking, it did not replace the daguerreotypes. However, in my estimation, his advancements can be considered a pivotal contribution in photography's history.
Considered the first masters of photography, the Bostonian team of Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes created numerous daguerreotypes still in existence today. Southworth and Hawes were devoted to capturing the emotional expressiveness of their subjects and their work also denotes an understanding of lighting.
In particular, the image titled "Woman in Floral Bonnet and Zig-Zag Dress" circa 1853 makes use of a high key light positioned to the camera's left as evidenced in the catch lights of the women's eyes. As with the portrait of Emily Dickinson, the woman in the image sits upright, calm and dignified, suggesting a profound moral decency. She appears to be dressed in her "Sunday best" elevating the portrait session to the status of a special occasion. Indeed, millions of Americans from varying social classes flocked to have their daguerreotype portraits made.
A series of experiments conducted by Joseph Nicéphore Nicépce resulted in a 19th century invention that still sparks the imagination of mankind. With notable contributions from Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot, these pioneering imagists set the groundwork for the improvements that would follow in subsequent decades.
Works cited:
London, Barbara. A Short Course in Digital Photography. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print.
Portraits of Women of Southworth and Hawes. American Museum of Photography. 2010. 31 Oct 2012 <[http://www.photographymuseum.com/showSH.html>]. Web.
The Daguerreotypes of Southworth and Hawes. American Museum of Photography. 30 October 2012 <[http://www.photographymuseum.com/sandh1.html>]. Web.
It's difficult to imagine the astonishment Joseph Nicéphore Nicépce's discovery caused in 1826 when he made the world's first photographic image on a thin sheet of pewter with a mixture of asphalt and lavender oil. (London, 173) Nicépce's prior experience with the camera obscura, an artist's drawing tool, inspired his efforts to find a method of capturing images permanently. His experiments, which included working with mixtures like silver chloride and later bitumen of Judea, can be considered the genesis of photography and his initial success led others to develop the new medium further.
Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre became Nicépce's partner and continued to experiment with the new technology. After Nicépce's death, Daguerre's process of transferring an image onto a polished, silver plated copper sheet, known as the daguerreotype, was announced at the French Academy of Sciences on January 7, 1839 (London 174).
If Nicépce's images, called sun drawings, can be thought of as a period of insemination and gestation in the timeline of photography's evolution, then the introduction of the daguerreotype can be seen as the medium's parturition and infancy.
A marvelous example of the rich tonality and crisp detail of the daguerreotype process evidenced in the only known photograph of Emily Dickinson taken by an unknown photographer circa 1847 when the famous poet was only seventeen. In addition to its historical merit the portrait also demonstrates an awareness of portrait lighting. The subject, though clad in a dark colored dress, maintains a separation from the black backdrop most likely caused by a light source, direct or reflected, pointed at the subject's back. A reflection in the eyes informs us that a light source was placed to the camera's right. Exposure times, though less than a minute, required the subject to remain motionless, a requirement that would "demand a quiet dignity on the part of the subject." (London 175)
Shortly after Daguerre's announcement, William Henry Fox Talbot presented his approach of capturing an image on paper instead of metal, making the collecting of large numbers of images more feasible. Unlike daguerreotypes, Talbot's process, which he called calotypes, had the advantage of allowing for the production of multiple, identical images from the same original.
William Henry Fox Talbot, by John Moffat, 1864. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In a process now known as contact printing, Talbot used light sensitive paper to create a latent negative image. Using silver iodide, the same light sensitive element in the daguerreotype process, and gallo nitrate of silver, he then placed another sheet of sensitized paper in contact with the latent negative and exposed it to light again. But, there were also disadvantages "because the print was made through the paper of a negative, the calotype lacked the sharp detail of the daguerreotype." (London 176)
While Talbot's instinct to transfer an image to paper instead of metal opened a new avenue of thinking, it did not replace the daguerreotypes. However, in my estimation, his advancements can be considered a pivotal contribution in photography's history.
Considered the first masters of photography, the Bostonian team of Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes created numerous daguerreotypes still in existence today. Southworth and Hawes were devoted to capturing the emotional expressiveness of their subjects and their work also denotes an understanding of lighting.
In particular, the image titled "Woman in Floral Bonnet and Zig-Zag Dress" circa 1853 makes use of a high key light positioned to the camera's left as evidenced in the catch lights of the women's eyes. As with the portrait of Emily Dickinson, the woman in the image sits upright, calm and dignified, suggesting a profound moral decency. She appears to be dressed in her "Sunday best" elevating the portrait session to the status of a special occasion. Indeed, millions of Americans from varying social classes flocked to have their daguerreotype portraits made.
A series of experiments conducted by Joseph Nicéphore Nicépce resulted in a 19th century invention that still sparks the imagination of mankind. With notable contributions from Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot, these pioneering imagists set the groundwork for the improvements that would follow in subsequent decades.
Works cited:
London, Barbara. A Short Course in Digital Photography. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print.
Portraits of Women of Southworth and Hawes. American Museum of Photography. 2010. 31 Oct 2012 <[http://www.photographymuseum.com/showSH.html>]. Web.
The Daguerreotypes of Southworth and Hawes. American Museum of Photography. 30 October 2012 <[http://www.photographymuseum.com/sandh1.html>]. Web.