LECTURE 2 OUTLINES Lecture 2: Daguerre February 4, 2008 -Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre (1787-1851) -Photography was invented simultaneously in various countries. -We will focus on two inventors: -Louis Jacques Daguerre- who was in France -William Henry Fox Talbot- who was in England -Traditionally the starting point of photography is January 7, 1839 when Francois Argot announced Daguerre's invention. -In both France and England the invention straddled scientific discovery and technological product -The Camera Obscura -The camera obscura was an ancestor of the modern camera. The principle that light rays travel in straight lines has been known for centuries. -When light rays from a bright object enter a small hole in a darkened room, they produce an inverted image of that object through the lens on the opposite wall. -It was used as a device to aid artists in drawing i.e. tracing, to create grids, silhouettes. -By adding a mirror to the camera obscura, the image could be turned right side up, allowing for the artist to copy a true image. -With photography, the device allowed for no need of artist intervention. The device fixed the image itself. -Photography as a process -Chemists needed substances that reacted to light and substances that made things stop reacting to light -Wedgewood's problem was that he could't get things to stop reacting to light. He would copy silhouettes and drawings using silver salts, but to preserve the image he had to keep it in the dark. -In 1819, Sir John Herschel discovered sodium hyposulfate, which helped discover silver salts. This chemical that he discovered helped fix images. -The process: put silver iodide on a plate exposing it to light and then exposing it to mercury vapor and then use hyposulfate too fix the images. -Nicephore Niepce and his collaboration with Daguerre -Niepce was experimenting with substances. He made the first photograph, but it required an 8 hour exposure time. Some claim he should be considered the founder of photography. -In 1829, Daguerre began working with him, but Niepce died in 1843. -Daguerreotype and its properties -Detailed high resolution -Unique-cannot be reproduced -Its uniqueness made it very precious, and it was treated that way. It oftentimes had a jewel-like quality, and it might be surrounded with fabrics, jewels, in a box, etc. -Hard to look at because of a reflexive surface -Mercury droplets appear lighter -Fragile and can be easily destroyed by physical contact -Relatively expensive for a photograph when compared to Talbot's photographs on paper(but cheaper than a painting) -Required a long exposure time -The causes of the success of the Daguerreotype -Entrepreneurial -Flashy effects from a black box (following the diorama) -Daguerre wanted to make a profit off of his invention. -Many people believe that photography went from a science to an art. But, Kelsey believes that it started as an art and it then it became a science and then turned back into an art form -In 19th century Europe, art moved away from the didacticism of large narrative paintings -Daguerre was also an accomplished painter, and he was interested in art. He was the co-creator of the diorama (which involved rotating a stage and 2 translucent screens and the shining of the lights which was entertaining and created large optical effects. This invention gave him considerable prominence and money. -He wanted to find a way to sell popular light effects. -Daguerre wanted to provide a profitable product, and he wanted to sell the images to make them popular. But, in France there were no strong patent laws. So, Daguerre waited to release his invention to the public until he took care of the legal and economic implications to ensure his profit. -Daguerre wanted a pension. He wanted to have photography as an industrial product. So, he presented it as a user-friendly device. -The automatic operation, which hid its complexity, allowed for wealthy consumers usually or anyone to use the camera. Some argue that the invention was actually quite difficult to use. -The photograph as picture: photography adopts conventions -Both Daguerre and Talbot tried to fold in their products into other daily habits so they wanted to make it like other pictures. -Side note; photogram is cameraless picture; you put an object on top of a photographic surface and it makes a silhouette. -During this time period and in renaissance art, pictures usually have a single point of perspective where horizontal and vertical lines do not converge. Cameras are constructed to recontruct these conventions. So, we expect sharp frame, rectangular images and a single image with everything in a crisp focus. -Our vision is anisotropic meaning that we can only see things in the central part of our vision in focus, but things on the peripheral appear to be blurry. Photographs allowed for the whole image to be in focus. -Circumstantial -The culture of invention and efficiency -The social need for self representation -The picture as photograph: conventions turn towards photography -Photography matched well with the emerging middle class.There was a social climate that was eager for the new forms of entertainment, establishing social identity, capturing images, and new ways to record events, and labor saving devices, etc. -During the time of the invention, it was the time of rapid social change and technological advancement (steamboats, sewing machine, etc) -Photography appealed to the interest in natural marvels. It was just light in a boxnot a lot of gears or anything, simultaneously modern ad part of a world of natural magic -Daguerreotype stepped into the place of the portrait miniatures; it was just so much less expensive -Daguerre failed to anticipate or realize the sensation of portraits-when people would define themselves through posturing in a portrait -Photography was thought to be a class-leveling technology -People devised ways to color daguerreotypes. -The physical difficulty of staying still for such a long time led to device meant to keep people still. For children, some would hold then down (you could see hands in the picture) -The need to sit still fit well into the Victorian ideals of discipline and restraint fit well in the broader discourse -Matthew Brady- the most famous American daguerreotypist -Another fascination with photography was that it's a physical trace it was an actual moment in someone's life like other traces would be like a signature or a lock of hair -Reverse argument prior to the announcement of the daguerreotype by Argos: the convention of painting was already going toward the principles of photography as seen through the arbitrary POV. Before there was the idea there was nothing outside of the frame but then there were some painting that clearly showed the frame and it not encompassing everything. -Accidental: the Daguerreotype's freakish exactitude -By freakish accident of history, the daguerreotype has produced the highest resolution picture in history. -The mercury vapors were teensy weensy(a micron in length which is approximately 100 trillion pixels) -In a way, it guranteed that it was a new image -You see more and more detail under magnification -There was the notion of the daguerreotype being superhuman -Hippolyte Bayard fails to catch the wave -Hippolyte Bayard- his image was much fuzzier and seemed more like a drawing. It was more artistic looking. It was the first to display photography as art. The Self Portrait of a Drowned Man was a response to history betraying him. READINGS Arago, D.F. &quot;Report to the French Chamber of Deputies,&quot; 1839. This is a report by Arago to the French commission that will decide whether to give an annual pension to Daguerre for his invention of the daguerreotype. (Technically, the pension would be 6,000 francs for Daguerre and 4,000 francs for Niepce, his partner.) Seeks to answer 4 questions: 1. Is the process of Daguerre definitively an original invention? 2. Will this invention render a valuable service to archeology and the fine arts? 3. Can it be practically useful? 4. Can the sciences derive any advantage from it? Gives brief history of Daguerre/Niepce partnership: Niepce originally was able to produce images, but (a) they required lots of exposure (10-12 hours) and (b) he had trouble fixing the images after exposure. Daguerre definitely deserves credit, Arago decides. Mentions that the photography would serve usefully in archeology in Egypt could have preserved hieroglyphics from vandals (some uncertain event is referred to here, but the actual event probably doesn't matter), and could help in current investigations. Important section in which he talks to a painter, M. Paul Delaroche. Painter says that, contrary to popular opinion, photography will not be to the detriment of painters or engravers. Instead, Delaroche says that the method of reproduction in the daguerreotype is so good that it could help improve the skill of any painter. Quote from Delaroche: the remarkable invention of M. Daguerre is a great service rendered to the Arts. Practicality: Copper plates are expensive relative to paper but much higher quality pics result Cost of chemicals is low Process is easy to learn anyone can Image is delicate not robust enough to use for printing. Science: Could photograph the moon, something which had taken painters many, many hours. Could produce determination of absolute intensities of light as in astronomy, just how bright is that star? Will help sciences, but probably in unexpected ways folks have not had enough time to use it yet Likens photography to telescopes and microscopes as opening an new, unseen world. Proud that this discovery came out of France Recounts story of Daguerre asking for pension in order to establish Daguerre's good character and reinforce his status as a good patriot. SLIDES Slide 1- Diagram of a Camera Obscura This drawing demonstrated how a camera obscura works. All that is needed is a box or a room which is all dark except for a hold in one side. The light from the outside is the projected upside down on the inside of the darkened box or room. The camera obscura was first described by Aristotle. Slide 2- Machine for Taking Silhouettes (late 18th century) This is a sketch of what people used to go through when they wanted a version of a portrait done. The subject would have to sit and let the artist outline the image of their face which was created by placing light on the other side of the subject. These two photos were both showing how light was used to create the images. In the first light is needed in order to project the image into the camera obscura which is how the photographs are then captured. The second shows of how light is used in another kind of imaging. This image also shows us how the camera obscura is a huge advancement in the field. Slide 3- Daguerre Parisian Boulevard (1839) This is a Daguerrotype. One of the first. Daguerrotypes were hard to see without a certain light. They were developed by having the image exposed directly into a mirror-polished surface of silver. Slide 4- Engraving of Daguerre's Diorama This is a sketch of people viewing a photograph projected. It's interesting in its perspective because although the people are in the forefront you can only see their backs. Interesting inversion. Slide 5- Daguerre, Artist's Studio Another Daguerrotype. Black around the outside. Kind of washed out in the upper right corner. A lot of shadow. Slide 6- Daguerre Fossil Shells 1839 Daguerrotype that shows a lot of definition and detail in the photograph. More definition than had been seen in previous photos. There are horizontal and vertical lines set up to section each object on the shelves. The lines in the fossils contradict the row and column lines because they are more circular and curvy or spirally. Slide 7 -Portrait of Young Girl, photographer unknown, c. 1850 -Daguerreotype, illustrates how Daguerreotypes often used for portraits -the image is in a small frame--historically, Daguerreotypes used to make miniature portraits that previously were composed by painters -Daguerreotypes are fragile and relatively expensive for a photograph, they were treated as fragile precious things, had a jewel-like quality--illustrated by the fact that Daguerreotype employed to record the image of something as precious as a baby -hand on baby's head: from a compositional point of view, it adds an aura of mystery to the photograph, leading to ask the viewer who is standing behind the image, practically, it reflects the fact the Daguerreotypes required long exposure times, it was difficult to keep subjects still (especially a baby, so the hand is there to keep the baby from moving) -studio of Mathew Brady, <a href="/keyword/henry-james/" >henry james</a> , Sr., and <a href="/keyword/henry-james/" >henry james</a> , Jr. 1854 -another portrait miniature -a man with his son, demonstrates family aspect of Daguerreotype portrait -sons head is placed above father's head, emphasizes the son -a diagonal line connects the top of the two heads, forming a connection between father and son -Daguerreotypes renowned for their shiny, reflective quality, which comes through to a certain extent in this slide -Mathew Brady was a famous photography known especially for his pictures of the Civil War -Anna Cora Mowatt, anonymous photographer, c. 1850 -very clear image of hair and branch, demonstrates extremely high resolution of Daguerreotype -also very clear image of woman's clothing, especially the frills on her jacket -this amazing resolution sets Daguerreotype apart from painting, other types of photography -notion of Daguerreotype as superhuman linked to its extraordinary resolution