Historical Photographers - Louis Daguerre Pt. 2

Engraving of Louis Daguerre

Continuing from last week…

The daguerreotype process was highly skilled work, requiring a lot of practice and precision to get good results. But the process did have a few limitations, such as:

1. One-of-a-Kind Images: Daguerreotypes are direct positive images, meaning they do not produce a negative from which multiple copies can be made. Each image is unique and cannot be duplicated, which is a significant limitation compared to later photographic processes.

2. Exposure Time: Early on, the daguerreotype process required long exposure times, often several minutes. This made portraiture difficult, as subjects had to remain perfectly still for the duration of the exposure to avoid a blurry image. Over time, improvements in the process and faster lenses reduced exposure times, but it was still a challenge compared to later processes.

3. Fragility of the Image: The silver surface of a daguerreotype is delicate and can be easily marred by scratches, fingerprints, or dust. To protect the image, it was typically housed behind glass in a protective case. This not only added to the cost and complexity of producing daguerreotypes but also made them less practical for certain applications compared to sturdier photographic formats that emerged later.

4. Toxic Materials: The daguerreotype process involves the use of potentially hazardous materials, such as mercury and iodine. The development process, in particular, was dangerous due to the toxicity of mercury vapour.

5. Cost and Complexity: Producing a daguerreotype was a labour-intensive process that required a significant amount of skill and precision. The materials used, particularly the silver-plated copper plates, were also relatively expensive. This made daguerreotypes less accessible to the average person and limited their use to professional photographers and affluent individuals.

6. Monochrome: Like all early photographic processes, the daguerreotype process could only produce black-and-white images. It would be many years before the invention of colour photography.

Despite these limitations, the daguerreotype process was an incredibly important development in the history of photography, offering a level of detail and realism that was unprecedented at the time. Its limitations also led to the development of new photographic processes that were more practical, affordable, and versatile.

The daguerreotype process became popular for portraiture - despite the exposure time - and there are several reasons for this:

A daguerreotype of Abraham Lincoln in 1846 - the first photograph of Lincoln

1. Unprecedented Detail and Realism: The daguerreotype was the first widely available photographic process and offered a level of detail and realism that was unparalleled by previous portrait methods. Unlike painted portraits, which depended on the artist's interpretation and skill, daguerreotypes captured a precise likeness of the subject.

2. Accessibility: Before the daguerreotype, having a portrait made was a luxury reserved for the wealthy. The process of painting a portrait was time-consuming and expensive. In contrast, while still not cheap, daguerreotypes were more affordable and thus accessible to a wider section of society, including the burgeoning middle class.

3. Speed: Compared to having a portrait painted, which could take days or even weeks, a daguerreotype could be produced in a relatively short amount of time. Although early daguerreotypes required long exposure times, advancements in the process eventually reduced this to a matter of minutes.

4. Novelty: The novelty of the daguerreotype process also played a role in its popularity. The ability to capture a realistic and detailed image was a technological marvel at the time and attracted a great deal of interest.

5. Permanence: Daguerreotypes, if well-preserved, have a level of permanence. They could last for decades, making them a popular choice for capturing family likenesses and moments that could be passed down through generations.

But the process was eventually superseded by less expensive and more convenient photographic processes, such as the wet collodion process and the dry plate process.

In recognition of his invention, the French government awarded Daguerre and Niépce’s son Isidore a lifetime pension and declared the daguerreotype process as a gift "free to the world" on 19th August 1839. Although Daguerre's invention was a major step forward in the world of photography, it's important to note that other pioneers, like William Henry Fox Talbot in England, were working on alternative photographic processes during the same period.

A print of William Henry Fox Talbot in 1864 by John Moffat

Under the cloak of the English summer in 1835, Talbot unveiled his secret creation - a "sensitive paper," drenched in silver chloride, able to capture small camera images. However, the fruits of his labour remained shrouded in mystery until he publicly unveiled them in January 1839. Unbeknownst to him, Daguerre's late partner Niépce had managed a similar feat with silver-chloride-coated paper nearly two decades earlier, but had been forced to abandon his attempts when his images would darken upon exposure to light. Consequently, Niépce pivoted, experimenting with substances such as bitumen, while Talbot opted to chemically stabilise his images with a robust common salt solution, enabling them to withstand the harsh glare of daylight.

When whispers of Daguerre's invention reached Talbot, details were scarce. Convinced that Daguerre had used a process similar to his own, he swiftly penned an open letter to the French Academy of Sciences, claiming his rightful place as the originator of the invention. It wasn't long before Talbot discovered that Daguerre's process was strikingly dissimilar to his own. Still, it served as a spark that reignited his passion and led him to revisit his long-abandoned photographic experiments.

Daguerre's process required just enough exposure to create a nearly invisible latent image, which could be chemically developed into full visibility. On the other hand, Talbot's original "sensitive paper" or "salted paper" required a more prolonged exposure until the image fully formed. However, his later invention in 1841, the calotype (also known as the talbotype), similarly utilised latent image development, significantly reducing the exposure time needed and making it a worthy competitor to the daguerreotype.

In an ironic twist, while France declared Daguerre's invention "free to the world", Daguerre's agent, Miles Berry, had just applied for a British patent, making the United Kingdom the only country required to pay licensing fees. This financial barrier dampened the spread of the daguerreotype in Britain, inadvertently creating fertile ground for the emergence of competing processes. Antoine Claudet, one of the privileged few legally licensed to produce daguerreotypes in Britain, stood out as a remarkable exception to this rule.

Antoine Claudet

Daguerre died from a heart attack on 10th July 1851 in Bry-sur-Marne, 7 miles from Paris. A monument marks his grave there.

Daguerre’s grave in Bry-sur-Marne

Daguerre's contributions to the field of photography have had a lasting impact, and he is considered one of the founding fathers of this medium. The daguerreotype was the first widely-used photographic process, paving the way for future advancements in photography and visual communication.