August 19, 1839: France and Daguerre Give Practical Photography to the World
On August 19, 1839, Louis Daguerre and the French government gave the gift of “practical” photography to the world. It was instantly popular with the public and everybody wanted a portrait of themselves. It was the Polaroid of its day.
A daguerreotype is a one-of-a-kind photographic image that could not be copied because it was a positive-only process alowing no reproduction of the picture. The process involved polishing a silver-plated sheet of copper. It was then sensitized with iodine vapors, exposed in a large box camera, developed in mercury fumes, and fixed with hypo (sodium thiosulphate/salt water). Since its inception, photography served as both a medium of artistic expression and as a powerful scientific tool. Daguerre’s earliest plates were still-life compositions of plaster casts.
It is a common misconception that the daguerreotype was the most commonly used method of photography into the late part of the 19th century. Daguerre’s process was only used for about 10 years, before it was overtaken by other processes:
In honor of Daguerre’s pioneering gift to the world, Scenes from the Past would like to share these resources:
The Daguerreian Society’s Galleries
The Daguerreian Society’s essay, “A Thumbnail History of the Daguerreotype” by Kenneth E. Nelson.
The Library of Congress - Timeline of the Daguerreian Era
The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre
