Exhibits of Daguerreotypes don’t crop up very often and as a Daguerreotypist seeking inspiration I was very pleased to recently visit the Musee d’Orsay in Paris and find such an event.  This is the second exhibit for the Museum of Daguerreotypes, the last being in 2003 when I also happen to be in Paris.  That was a much larger exhibit with plates from private collections and part of it travelled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  The current exhibit, on until September is smaller in scope and are just from the colletions of the Musee d’Orsay, none the less my cup of inspiration runeth over.  

According to the exhibition catalogue the last exhibit brought about a flurry of collecting Daguerreotypes by the Musee.  It is odd that in France that Daguerre and the Daguerreotype is not more celebrated.  The exhibit had very fine examples of stereo Daguerreotypes and for some very fine passe partout, including the faux tortoiseshell type.

Exhibition  Catalogue (via Amazon) Musee D’Orsay collections search