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 THE DAGUERREOTYPE: AN ARCHIVE OF SOURCE TEXTS, GRAPHICS, AND EPHEMERA


  The research archive of Gary W. Ewer regarding the history of the daguerreotype

TEXTS FROM 1839

A remark by the French photographic historian Pierre-Georges Harmant is appropriate:

In this study I have confined myself simply to looking through the press of 1839 . . . and that is something that is not found in the manuals on the history of photography. The little that we have said is probably nothing compared with what has been forgotten. It would take one man alone years of research, and I should always be very grateful for information about anything that has appeared in any document anywhere dealing with photography in 1839 . . .
— Pierre G. Harmant, "Anno Lucis 1839," Camera (Luzern) (May 1960): 24–31. (http://www.marillier.nom.fr/collodions/PGH/menu.html)
2 January 1839
Le Drapeau Tricolore
(Chalon-sur-Saône)
Ewer archive: N8390018
author name: Alfred Letellier
text title: "Le Daguerréotype"
notes: One of the earliest announcements concerning the daguerreotype.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Joseph Nicéphore Niepce, Alfred Letellier
08 January 1839
Journal des Débats (Paris)
Ewer archive: P8390036
notes: A day-after report from the Académie des Sciences.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Jean-Baptiste Biot, François Arago
12 January 1839
Literary Gazette (London)
Ewer archive: P8390008
author name: Hippolyte Gaucheraud
text title: "The Daguerotype" [sic]
notes: Perhaps the earliest English-language announcement concerning the daguerreotype.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Nicephore Niépce, Hippolyte Gaucheraud
19 January 1839
Literary Gazette (London)
Ewer archive: P8390031
text title: "The Daguerotype" [sic]
notes: Two texts copied from French newspapers including a report of the 7 January 1839 communication by Arago to the French Academy of Sciences.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Jean-Baptiste Biot, François Arago, Paul Delaroche
February 1839
Railway Magazine (London)
Ewer archive: P8390013
text title: "Fixation of Images"
notes: Early notice of Daguerre's invention.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, François Arago, Jean-Baptiste Biot
February 1839
Journal des Demoiselles (Paris)
Ewer archive: P8390014
notes: Early notice of the daguerreotype drawn in part from an article by M. Jules Pelletan in La Press.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, M. Jules Pelletan
February 1839
Journal of the American Institute
(New York)
Ewer archive: P8390001
text title: "Chemical and Optical Discovery"
notes: This account is derived from the Parisian newspaper Constitutionnel and is one of four texts (known to this editor) appearing in US press in February 1839.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, François Arago, Jean-Baptiste Biot, Constitutionnel
2 February 1839
Literary Gazette (London)
Ewer archive: P8390017
text title: "The New Art"
notes: A text of some length discussing both Daguerre's invention and Talbot's invention. The article includes the full text of Talbot's 30 January 1839 letter to the Gazette.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, William Henry Fox Talbot, Dagueroscope [ Daguerroscope], Thomas Wedgewood, Sir Humphry Davy, François Arago, Jean-Baptiste Biot
21 February 1839
Times (London)
Ewer archive: N8390005
author name: "Clericus"
notes: Brief, curious text indicating early photographic actvities. The author assigns the term "lucigraphs" to his productions.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Clericus, lucigraph, lucigraphs
23 February 1839
Boston Daily Advertiser
Ewer archive: N8390007
text title: "Remarkable Invention"
notes: Derived from the Parisian publication Journal des Debats, this is one of four texts (known to this editor) appearing in US press in February 1839. See also the 21 March 1839 Catholic Telegraph (P8390020) for a fuller version derived from the same source text.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Jean-Baptiste Biot, François Arago, Journal des Debats
26 February 1839
Boston Mercantile Journal
Ewer archive: N8390006
text title: "Extraordinary Chemical and Optical Discovery"
notes: This summary of the Parisian newspaper, Constitutionnel, is one of four texts (known to this editor) appearing in US press in February 1839.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, François Arago, Constitutionnel
March 1839
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine
(Edinburgh, London)
Ewer archive: P8390016
text title: "New Discovery—Engraving, and Burnett's Cartoons."
notes: This important text discusses the ramifictaions of photography upon the fine and applied arts, as well as discussing both Talbot's paper photography and Daguerre's productions upon metal plates. Portions of this text are from the 2 February 1839 Literary Gazette.
keywords: William Henry Fox Talbot, Humphry Davy, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Dagueroscope [Daguerroscope], François Arago, Jean-Baptiste Biot, John Burnet
March 1839
Museum of Foreign Literature
(Philadelphia)
Ewer archive: P8390003
text title: "Self-Operating Processes of Fine Art"
notes: Although date details are not yet confirmed by this editor, this text may be citing the 2 February 1839 Spectator (London).
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, François Arago, Charles Bouton, Paris diorama
March 1839
Le Globe (Paris)
Ewer archive: P8390030
author name: De Tournay
text title: "Prédictions pour l’an Dix-Huit Cent Trente-Neuf"
notes: The poem, set to an air, includes a stanza regarding Daguerre and his "genius effect really new."
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre
15 March 1839
Art-Union (London)
Ewer archive: P8390033
text title: "Sun-Painting"
notes: An article discussing the issue of priority of invention.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, William Henry Fox Talbot, Desmaret, Nicephore Niépce, Charles
21 March 1839
Catholic Telegraph (Cincinnati)
Ewer archive: P8390020
notes: A fuller version of the 8 January 1839 Journal des Debats text than is provided in the 23 February 1839 Boston Daily Advertiser (N8390007).
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, François Arago ,Journal des Debats
30 March 1839
Expositor (New York)
Ewer archive: P8390019
text title: "The Daguerrotype" [sic]
notes: Translated from a foreign source, the article extolls Daguerre's achievement. A variant of this text also appears in the 6 April 1839 Albion. (N8390011)
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Daguerrotype
April 1839
Aldine Magazine (London)
Ewer archive: N8390029
text title: "Destruction of the French Diorama"
notes: An article regarding the 8 March 1839 fire that destroyed Daguerre's Diorama.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Diorama
April 1839
Foreign Quarterly Review (London)
Ewer archive: P8390025
text title: "Photogenic Drawings"
notes: A lengthy discussion of various individuals, their experiments and their achievements.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Thomas Wedgewood, François Arago, Humphrey Davy, William Henry Fox Talbot, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, Francis Bauer, William Havell and/or Frederick James Havell,James Tibbitts Willmore, Jean-Baptiste Biot
April 1839
Railway Magazine (London)
Ewer archive: P8390012
text title: "Daguerre’s Photogenic Paper, and Fixation of Images"
notes: Discusses Daguerre's paper process.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, photogenic paper, Jean-Baptiste Biot
6 April 1839
Albion (New York)
Ewer archive: N8390011
text title: "The Daguerrotype" [sic]
notes: Translated from a foreign source, the article extolls Daguerre's achievement. A variant of this text also appears in the 30 March 1839 Expositor. (P8390019)
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre
13 April 1839
Corsair (New York)
Ewer archive: P8390015
text title: "Pencil of Nature—A New Discovery"
notes: One of first texts of length appearing in Americans press. Derived from the March 1839 Blackwood's Edingburgh Magazine.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, William Henry Fox Talbot, dagueroscope [Daguerroscope]
20 April 1839
New-York Observer
Ewer archive: N8390002
author name: Samuel F. B. Morse
text title: "The Daguerrotipe" [sic]
notes: One of three texts written by Americans who visited Daguerre in 1839 and saw examples of the daguerreotype. Morse's visit with Daguerre occurred on 7 March 1839.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Robert Walsh, Jr., Samuel F. B. Morse, Benjamin Silliman, Paris diorama
20 April 1839
New-Yorker
Ewer archive: N8390002
text title: "New Discovery in the Fine Arts—The Daguerroscope" [sic]
notes: Derived from the March 1839 Blackwood's Edingburgh Magazine.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, François Arago, Jean-Baptiste Biot, Daguerroscope
22 May 1839
New-York American
Ewer archive: N8390003
author name: Robert Walsh, Jr.
notes: One of three texts written by Americans who visited Daguerre in 1839 and saw examples of the daguerreotype. Walsh's visit with Daguerre occurred on 3 March 1839.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Robert Walsh, Jr., François Arago, William Henry Fox Talbot, daguerreotype, Paris diorama
15 June 1839
Medical Examiner (Philadelphia)
Ewer archive: N8390001
author name: Dr. Richard Harlan
notes: One of three texts written by Americans who visited Daguerre in 1839 and saw examples of the daguerreotype. The likely date of the visit was Tuesday, 5 March 1839.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Dr. Richard Harlan, Robert Walsh, Jr., François Arago, Samuel F. B. Morse, Nicephore Niépce, Paris diorama
July 1839
Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal
Ewer archive: P8390027
author name: Sir John Robison
text title: "Notes on Daguerre's Photography"
notes: An important text from one of a group of Englishmen who visited Daguerre. The likely date of the visit was 17 May 1839.
keywords: Sir John Robison, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre
11 July 1839
Times (London)
Ewer archive: N8390008
notes: A brief text regarding the exhibition of Daguerre's specimens to the Chamber of Deputies (7 July and 8 July 1839).
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Nicephore Niépce, Chamber of Deputies
20 July 1839
Mirror (London)
Ewer archive: P8390005
notes: A text regarding the exhibition of Daguerre's specimens to the Chamber of Deputies (7 July and 8 July 1839). (Cites the English-language Parisian newspaper, Galignani's Messenger.)
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Chamber of Deputies
20 July 1839
New-York Mirror
Ewer archive: N8390009
text title: "Letter from an Idle Merchant"
notes: A text of fantasy indicative of the sort of speculations regarding the yet-undisclosed invention.
keywords: daguerroscope, dagueroscope
27 July 1839
Christian Register (Boston)
Ewer archive: N8390019
text title: "The Daguerrotype, or Solar Engraving"
notes: An article discussing Daguerre, Niépce, and the use of photographic plates for engraving.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, Francis Bauer
20 August 1839
Galignani’s Messenger (Paris)
Ewer archive: N8390015
text title: "The Daguerreotype"
notes: From an English-language newspaper published in Paris, this is one of the primary accounts describing Arago's 19 August 1839 discloure of Daguerre's process.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Nicephore Niépce, François Arago
23 August 1839
Globe and Traveller (London)
Ewer archive: N8390014
text title: "The Daguerreotype"
notes: Copied from Galignani's Messenger, this is one of the primary accounts describing Arago's 19 August 1839 discloure of Daguerre's process.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Nicephore Niépce, François Arago, Globe account
24 August 1839
Literary Gazette (London)
Ewer archive: P8390006
text title: "The Daguerre Secret"
notes: One of primary accounts describing Arago's 19 August 1839 discloure of Daguerre's process.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Nicephore Niépce, François Arago, Alexandre Dumas, Alphonse Giroux
24 August 1839
Athenaeum (London)
Ewer archive: P8390007
text title: "Principle of the Daguerreotype"
notes: One of the primary accounts describing Arago's 19 August 1839 discloure of Daguerre's process.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Nicephore Niépce, François Arago, Alexandre Dumas, John Herschel, Alphonse Giroux, Journal des Débats
7 September 1839
Botanico-Medical Recorder
(Columbus)
Ewer archive: P8390026
text title: "The Pencil of Nature"
notes: Mentions the photogenic experiments (and success) of Professor John Locke of Cincinnati.
keywords: "Deguerre," William Henry Fox Talbot, Daguerroscope, Professor Locke, John Locke, Mr. Flash’s book store
14 September 1839
Literary Gazette (London)
Ewer archive: P8390032
text title: "Fine Arts: The Daguerrotype"
notes: A discussion of the use of varnish as a protective coating for the daguerreotype.
keywords: Alexandre Dumas, Charles Chevalier, Susse Frères, Alphonse Giroux, varnish
23 September 1839
New-York Evening Post
Ewer archive: N8390013
text title: "The Daguerreotype"
notes: Perhaps the first US press reprint of the 23 August 1839 London Globe account which was widely reprinted in the US press.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, Nicephore Niépce, François Arago, Globe account
25 September 1839
United States Gazette
(Philadelphia)
Ewer archive: N8390017
text title: "The Daguerreotype Explained"
notes: A summary of the process (as announced 19 August 1839) by Alexander Dallas Bache of Philadelphia.
keywords: William Henry Fox Talbot, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Joseph Nicéphore Niepce
28 September 1839
Nile's National Register
(Washington, D.C.)
Ewer archive: N8390012
text title: "The Daguerreotype"
notes: One of first US press reprints of the 23 August 1839 London Globe account.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, Nicephore Niépce, François Arago, Globe account
October 1839
Court and Lady’s Magazine
(London)
Ewer archive: P8390002
author name: "B. S." (in fact, Jules Janin)
text title: "La Daguerreotype"
notes: While appearing October 1839, this long, effusive text was written in January. The writer also provides a vivid description of the Diorama.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Paris Diorama, Alexandre Dumas, B.S., Jules Janin
15 October 1839
Art-Union (London)
Ewer archive: P8390034
text title: "The Daguerreotype in London"
notes: A brief mention of the activities of St. Croix and J. T. Cooper in London as well as mentioning Daguerre's claim of patent rights in England.
keywords: St. Croix, J. T. Cooper, patent
19 October 1839
Mirror (London)
Ewer archive: P8390011
text title: "M. Daguerre's Process of Engraving"
notes: A brief description of Daguerre's process, also mentions the early activities of St. Croix and J. T. Cooper in London.
keywords: Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, J. T. Cooper, St. Croix
26 October 1839
La Mode (Paris)
Ewer archive: P8390009
text title: "Caricature de La Mode"
notes: A brief text accompanying a caricature lithograph illustration of daguerreotypist, man with his head held in a vise, concerned woman
keywords: Daguerrotrappe, J. Platier, Jules Platier
November 1839
London and Edinburgh
Philosophical Magazine

Ewer archive: P8390028
author name: John T. Towson
text title: "On the Proper Focus for the Daguerreotype"
notes: A discussion of light rays, lens composition, and lens focus related to the taking of daguerreotypes.
keywords: John T. Towson, Robert Hunt, “great desideratum”
2 November 1839
New-Yorker
Ewer archive: N8390016
text title: "The Daguerreotype"
notes: A notice of the demonstration of the process in London by the Frenchman, de St. Croix.
keywords: De St. Croix
29 November 1839
(manuscript)
Ewer archive: S8390001
author name: François Fauvel Gouraud
notes: The invitation issued by François Gouraud for a private showing in New York of the daguerreotypes brought with him from France.
keywords: François Gouraud, William Sidney Mount
December 1839
Knickerbocker (New York)
Ewer archive: P8390004
author name: Lewis Gaylord Clark
notes: A review of Gouraud's New York exhibition of daguerreotypes written by the publication's editor.
keywords: Lewis Gaylord Clark, François Gouraud
4 December 1839
(manuscript)
Ewer archive: M8390001
author name: Philip Hone
notes: Hone's diary entry describing Gouraud's New York exhibition of daguerreotypes.
keywords: Philip Hone, François Gouraud, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre
7 December 1839
Albion (New York)
Ewer archive: N8390010
author name: Dr. John S. Bartlett
notes: A review of Gouraud's New York exhibition of daguerreotypes written by the publication's editor, Dr. John S. Bartlett.
keywords: John S. Bartlett, François Gouraud, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre