For today's DagNews I am happy to pass along this research inquiry from Stephen Pinson: - - - - - - - - - - - - Dear colleagues, I am a doctoral candidate in art history at Harvard University beginning dissertation research on L.J.M. Daguerre. I am especially interested in Daguerre's pre-photographic career, particularly his paintings (salon, theatrical, panorama, and diorama). I want to place Daguerre within the context of early nineteenth-century French painting and popular arts, in the hopes of producing a picture of his early career as something more than just a backdrop to the invention of photography. Indeed, the links between trompe l'oeil painting and photography, I believe, are much more complicated than the previous literature has suggested. At this stage, I am soliciting any and all information on possible leads to archival evidence, letters, and artwork of Daguerre. I know all of the basic sources, and have made a brief research trip to Paris, where I spent time at the Carnavalet, Bibliotheque Nationale, SFP, and the Archives de l'Opera. I will be returning to Paris in March 1998 for an extended period of research, and would be most grateful for all suggestions. Before March 1, 1998, I can be reached at the address at Harvard, printed below; or by phone, 617-628-9274; or e-mail, scpinson@fas.harvard.edu. After March 1, I can be reached at 60 rue Notre Dame de Nazareth 75003 Paris, France tel 01 42 74 20 72 The e-mail address will remain the same: scpinson@fas.harvard.edu Sincerely, Stephen C. Pinson Department of Art History and Architecture Harvard University Sackler Museum 485 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02138 fax: 617-495-1769 (Should you wish to reply, please make sure that you address it to Stephen!) -------------------------------------------------------------- 02-15-98