Portrait of Young Man
Daguerreotype
ca. 1840-1870 (photographed)
ca. 1840-1870 (photographed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The daguerreotype process was introduced to the public in 1839 by Frenchman Louis Daguerre, and was hugely popular as a medium for portraiture until the middle of the 1850s. To create a daguerreotype, a silver plated sheet was given a light sensitive surface coating of iodine vapour. After a long exposure in the camera, the image was developed over heated mercury and fixed in a common salt solution. The image lies on a mirror-like surface and is best seen from an angle to minimise reflections. The surface of daguerreotypes is delicate and easily damaged, so professionally finished images were presented in a protective case or frame.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 4 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Title | Portrait of Young Man (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Daguerrotype, mounted, glazed and enclosed in tin case |
| Brief description | Daguerreotype portrait of a young man, mounted, glazed and enclosed in a tin container, France, ca. 1840-1870. |
| Physical description | Daguerreotype portrait of a young man, half-length, wearing a high collar and close-fitting jacket, seated on a chair. Mounted, glazed and enclosed in a tin case. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Transferred from the British Museum, 2007 |
| Summary | The daguerreotype process was introduced to the public in 1839 by Frenchman Louis Daguerre, and was hugely popular as a medium for portraiture until the middle of the 1850s. To create a daguerreotype, a silver plated sheet was given a light sensitive surface coating of iodine vapour. After a long exposure in the camera, the image was developed over heated mercury and fixed in a common salt solution. The image lies on a mirror-like surface and is best seen from an angle to minimise reflections. The surface of daguerreotypes is delicate and easily damaged, so professionally finished images were presented in a protective case or frame. |
| Other number | 1936,1231.16 - British Museum number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.340-2010 |
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| Record created | August 22, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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