The Daguerreotype: Contemporary work by Jonathan Danforth

I’m very pleased to report that my little experiment worked. I have returned from Charleston, SC with a whole plate daguerreotype of the beautiful United States Custom House. This lovely if gigantic piece of federal architecture was eventually completed in 1879 after a staccato and discontinuous twenty-six year construction process that began in 1853.

The building is still in use today for its original purpose although I was not able to go inside. I believe that this is one of the most attractive buildings in the city of Charleston although it seems rather out of place. Nestled on East Bay street at the head of the (in)famous slave market (wherein one may now only buy trinkets and fudge), the stout US Customs House will likely remain until Charleston is again the inaugural site of a bloody war.

This daguerreotype of the structure as it faces the Cooper river is the result of a three minute exposure on an October morning. I chose to push the dag to the limit and overexposed the sky so as to bring out the detail under the roof. Though overexposed, the detail is exquisite. My favorite element, shown at right, is the anachronistic mini blinds on the left-hand side of the piece (right of building).

A truly stunning frame is on order for this unique piece and I will be exhibiting it at an upcoming show. After the show I’ll be putting this puppy on eBay unless some person is kind enough to present me a fistful of currency.

I’m headed to Charleston, SC tomorrow for a wedding.  I prepared two daguerreotype plates this week and stuffed them into plate holders.  I’ve packed all this stuff so that I can process them in the hotel room if they come out.

It troubles me a bit because I’ve never stored a sensitized plate for longer than a few hours before shooting it.  This should be the test that finally tells me empirically if such a thing is possible.  I’ve heard legend but this is something I need to see for myself.  If this works then I’ll prepare the next trip to Washington,DC for a long weekend of daguerreotypie.

In the photograph are (more or less left to right):

• developing trays
• beakers
• filter paper
• dust blower
• glass stir rod
• gilding solution (wrapped in brown)
• x-acto blade
• sealing glass and mats (wrapped in white)
• plate holders (modified film carriers)
• lithography mask (red)
• J-Lar Tape
• Black light-fast masking tape
• Cleaning cloth
• x-acto handle
• Funnel
• Pre-measured Na2S2O3 developer (brown bottle)
• Hair Dryer
• Collapsible ring stand (for gilding)
• Propane cannister
• Blowtorch attachment

Surprisingly, it all fits in the backpack.  Then, of course, there’s the 8×10″ camera, tripod, and other camera accessories.  I wonder why people don’t like traveling with me…

Jonathan

Left is a whole plate daguerreotype that I made while working with a student over the summer. This image is of my son’s Tonka truck which was conveniently parked in the back garden near the workshop/studio/laboratory. I’ve found that Edward’s toys are much more likely to remain still for 90+ second exposures than he is himself. There is evidence of slight tinting by the gilding solution in the corners. I suspect that I did not allow a large enough of meniscus of gilding solution on the surface and dry spots occurred.

I love how the depth of field worked out in this image.  The highlights are as good as they can get with the Becquerel method and there remains a tidy level of shadow detail to boot.  I made this image rather hastily (only insomuch as this preposterous escapade of daguerreotypie will allow) so I’m pleased with the outcome all the more.

My three year old has claimed this image as his own; sorry, not for sale.  It’s probably a safe bet that mine is the only three year old in the world that can effortlessly pronounce daguerreotype although I have my suspicions about the Robinson children.

Jonathan

Time is cruel to memory. When memories fades with the generations it is only the corporeal remnants of memory that serve to remind us of events past. Photographs are the most easily accessible documentation of family history but often the photographs are unlabeled and thus contain no outright information about their subjects. Unlabeled photographs, however, are not entirely devoid of clues to their content. Enter Maureen Taylor - Photo Detective.

Using sociological analysis of clothing, hair style, accessories, and other contextual clues, plus a seemingly encyclopedic grasp of markings, stamps, and the like, Ms. Taylor has made quite the career out of her genealogical hobby.

I am willing to bet that Ms. Taylor wishes that her job, though enjoyable, didn’t have to exist. A lesson should be learned here: documentation. Daguerreotype, ambrotype, JPEG, or TIFF: document your photograph for future generations. Take some time to learn about archival methods of storage so that your twentieth-generation descendants can find value in your photographs.

Ms. Taylor: I’ll have you know that I struggled with the temptation of sending in one of my decidedly anachronistic daguerreotypes. Perhaps I’ll use a smidgen of subterfuge and submit one through an intermediary in order to tickle your funny bone.

As you may well imagine a societal upheaval took place when the French government revealed to the world Daguerre’s process for capturing the world on a silver plate. Because the process was so new and revolutionary, the term “La Daguerreotypomanie” was coined to explain the eagerness of everyone to either create Daguerreotypes or have their portrait made. The French were witnessing the birth of an industry and a new art form at the same moment.

Engraver Théodore Maurisset created the piece, “La Daguerreotypomanie” in 1839 to show the effect of the Daguerreotype on the French at the time; the piece is delightful.

You can order a high quality reprint directly from The Daguerreian Society or you can download your very own 49MB(!) scan of the original file from the Library of Congress if you’re so inclined as to print it yourself.