Because images are such an important part of the Authentic History Center, this section was created to give very brief descriptions of the evolution of photograph technology, accompanied by examples of each technology. |
|
This technology was named after French theatre owner and inventor, Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, who introduced the public to his new invention in 1839. Perhaps the most beautiful of photographic processes, it uses a polished, silver
plated sheet of metal and is easily recognized by its mirror-like surface. The
plate has to be held at the correct angle to the light for the image to be visible, but the image is extremely sharp and detailed. Daguerreotypes were typically sealed in one half of a hinged case that was convenient both for transport and display. Daguerreotypes were produced in various sizes and remain highly collectible today, their value heavily dependent on condition and subject matter:
Daguerreotype Plate Sizes
Whole plate 6-1/2" x 8-1/2" Half plate 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" Quarter plate 3-1/4" x 4-1/4" Sixth plate 2-3/4" x 3-1/4" Ninth plate 2" x 2-1/2" Sixteenth plate 1-3/8" x 1-5/8"
|
|
|
Almost at the same time that Daguerre was perfecting his technique, an English inventor named William Henry Fox Talbot was working on another photographic process involving the creation of paper negatives that could be used to make positive paper prints. His process, called the Calotype, eventually became the basis for modern film technology, but it did not arrive in time to stop "Daguerreotypomania" from sweeping america. In 1851 English photographer Frederick Scott Archer perfected a procedure similar to Talbot's, but it used a smooth glass negative rather than a paper one. This allowed for better, longer-lasting images, and the ability to make multiple prints from one negative. Although they did not immediately replace daguerreotypes, glass plate negatives became one of the most common types of photographs. The technology was gradually replaced
by film in the early 1900s. |
|
|
A glass negative with a black background that makes the image
appear positive. Like the Daguerreotype, it is a cased photo. They lost popularity in the
early 1860s when tintypes and CDVs replaced them. Many vintage photographs sold at auction today are sold as Daguerreotypes, but are actually Ambrotypes. The Ambrotype does not have the mirror-like quality of the Daguerreotype. |
|
|
The image is produced on a thin tin plate. Like the Ambrotype, it uses a negative image on a darker background to create the appearance of a positive image. The tintype largely replaced the ambrotype in America by the end of the Civil War. It was cheaper than the ambrotype, the process was faster, and they have proven to be a durable image. |
|
|
|
A card mounted photograph measuring 2.5 x 4 inches;
produced at a photo studio. The CDV was patented in Paris in 1854, and achieved popularity in the United States in 1860. It used the albumen found in egg whites to bind photographic chemicals to thin paper, which was then mounted on a thicker paper card. The CDV, mounted, measures 2.5 ?? 4 inches, the size of a visiting card. They became enormously popular and were traded among friends and visitors. "Cardomania" led to the publication and collection of photographs of prominent persons. Albums for the collection and display of cards became a common fixture in Victorian parlors. By the early 1870s, the CDV's popularity waned, replaced by cabinet cards. |
|
|
A card mounted photograph, typically 4.25 x 6.5 inches |
|
|
Came in a variety of standardized sizes, some of
the most common being called Victoria, Imperial,
Prominade, Panel, and Boudoir. |
|
|
|
|
|
Uses two nearly identical images to create the illusion of depth. A Stereoviewer
is required to be able to see the 3-D illusion.
|
|
|
In 1900, Kodak introduced the Brownie camera. Starting at $1.00, it was the first camera priced within reach of the average consumer. The camera took 2 1/4 square photographs on roll film. This Kodak Brownie, named after a popular cartoon series created by Canadian Palmer, Cox, revolutionized the industry and popularized the home "snapshot." Kodak went on to produce many different Brownie models and were popular well into the 1960s. |
|
|
|
|
|
|