Daguerreotype
1840-60 (made)
| Artist/Maker |
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 | |
| Materials and techniques | Daguerreotype, glass, ivory, metal |
| Brief description | Daguerreoptype, cased photograph, portrait of a man, c.1840-60 |
| Physical description | Daguerreotype portrait of a man in a metal case with ivory wave detail. |
| Dimensions |
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| 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. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1212-1992 |
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| Record created | March 17, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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