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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

On this day (May 28) in the year 1853, the following appeared in the Illustrated News (New York): ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A quarter-page wood-engraving illustration of "Lucy Stone--From a daguerreotype by Brady" accompanies the article regarding the work of the "native of West Brookfield...for the cause of those considered by her the oppressed." "She recently gave two lectures in Metropolitan Hall, in this city, on the claims of women. In the first, she argued that. Since man and woman have the same physical, mental and moral parts, and since whatever supplies these parts, is as expensive for woman as for man, there ought, of right, to be for her, equal facilities for obtaining their supply--she should be denied no industrial pursuits for which she has taste and capacity; instead of being confined to the needle, and the schoolroom, and receiving the meager compensation which must always result, when any kinds of labor are overstocked with workers, she should be admitted with printers, jewelers, daugerrean artists, designers, post-masters, ticket-masters at the railway stations, phrenologists, merchants, physicians, lawyers, ministers, sculptors and painter. In a word, the sphere of her activity should be bounded only be her capacity, for where God has conferred a power, there also is His certificate of the right to its use in harmony with the law of benevolence. Whatever woman can do and do well, either by head or hand, she has a right to do." ------------------------- also in the same issue is a quarter-page wood engraving of the "RUINS OF THE FALLEN BUILDING, BUFFALO, N.Y. [From a Daguerreotype by Evans.] ------------------------- In the advertisements under the header "DAGUERREOTYPES": T H E L O V E R ' S S O L I L O Q U Y Go search the Indian wave for pearls, To deck your high-born maiden, Or dig Golconda's diamond sands, With priceless treasures laden; Go gather myrrh and frankincense, And sweet Arabian spices, And cluster round your "heart's delight." Love's wildest of devices; I'll give to her whom I adore By far an offering richer-- My face, all dressed in Lover's smiles, In ROOT'S fair Crayon picture! ROOT'S Gallery, No. 363, Broadway. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also today, in the year 1853, the following appeared in the "Scientific American" (New York): ------------------- Daguerreotype Hat Crowns. These specimens of art are daily finding some new position in which to exhibit their beauty and perfection. They are now place in the tops or crowns of hats, and kept in that position by a very simple contrivance for the purpose. The daguerreotype tops will not be more expensive than the French paintings which are at present employed. This arrangement is the invention of Thomas Rafferty and Henry G. Leask, of New York City, who have taken measures to secure a patent for the improvement. --------------------- (Also in the same issue, accompanied by a wood engraving illustration of a thermoplastic Masher case:) MASHER'S STEREOSCOPE The annexed engraving is a perspective view of a most beautiful invention relating to the daguerreotype art, invented by J. F. Mascher of Philadelphia, and for which a patent was granted on the 8th of last March. The improvements consists in converting the daguerreotype case into a stereoscope, by a very simple arrangement of having a supplementary lid or flap, in which are two ordinary lenses. Two daguerreotype pictures are taken at an angle of about 25 or 30 degrees, on the right and left of the centre, and placed as shown in the case, In the supplementary lid or flap, are placed two glasses of short focal distance, like those of an opera glass. By looking through these, the person whose likeness is taken, stands out solid and life-like, no more resembling a common picture, than a statue does an oil paining. These cases are made so that the pictures are placed in the right position, and the lenses set at the proper focal distance to produce binocular vision. We believe it was Prof. Wheatstone, of London, who first made the discovery of the stereoscope, which was afterwards greatly improved by Sir David Brewster, and by him first applied to produce binocular with daguerreotype pictures. But the stereoscope of Brewster is a separate instrument from the daguerreotype case, is much larger and costs five or six dollars, while Mr. Mascher has applied that beautiful and wonderful principle of optics to the daguerreotype case itself, and here it is introduced to our American readers as one of the most delightful and pleasing improvements connected with the fine arts. To show the benefit of having a good paper devoted to improvements in the arts, we would state that this excellent invention, but for the Scientific American , would perhaps not have been made. On page 266, Vol. 7, Scientific American , we described the principle of binocular vision, and the operations of the stereoscope. This set the inventive mind of Mr. Mascher on the right track, and on page 322, same Vol., we published his letter, stating that from the description he had read in our columns, he had produced the first solid daguerreotype pictures in Philadelphia (and we believe in the United States.)--Shortly after that he converted the common daguerreotype case into a stereoscope as now presented in the accompanying engraving. In a short period, no person, we believe, while have a likeness taken by a daguerreotypist but stereoscopically. As these cases are no larger that the old kind, who would have a flat picture to look at, when the solid life-like likeness can thus be produced. No one can have the least idea of the beauty of this invention, until he sees such pictures with his eyes. By this improvement, husbands will, when thousands of miles separate, be enabled to see their wives standing before them in breathing beauty, wives their husbands, and lover, their sweethearts. It is a noble and elevating art, which perpetuates to posterity the looks of those we love or revere; this improvement will enable us to look upon the loved and respected when far away, or when they are in the tomb; it will enable us to see them as they once were with us, and prosperity with know how they and ourselves looked without trusting to the flattery or faults of a limner's pencil. More information may be obtained by letter addressed to Mr. Mascher, 408 North 2nd street, Philadelphia. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 05-28-95

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