Over the years I have heard the occassional story of folk in the C20th pursuing the process in isolation (in the sense that before the internet and the Daguerreian Society, Daguerreotypists finding each other to share info would have been difficult). I am reminded of what Grant Romer once said when I was studying at the Eastman House – Since the invention of the process there has always been someone, somewhere working with the process.
Recently at the annual Bierves photo fair south of Paris, I meet a photo dealer by the name of Dominique Thomas who had first hand knowledge of the Daguerretype process. In the 1950’s he had labored and finally produced an image, a self portrait. Years later his wife was showing it to someone and thought it looked dirty so wiped the unhoused plate… creating a "lost daguerreotype" in the process.
There are accounts of 20th century dag’ers in the record – see the quoted forum post by Walter Johnson below (any more references to these would be welcome here), but does anyone have any undocumented accounts of last century endeavor to add? I think it happened maybe more than most of us would expect. The galleries page of these sites would welcome images of such feats.
Hello my name is Walter Johnson and I had started to collect Photographica in 1965 and still at it, but at a very much smaller pace. Offered a job at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio in 1968 and on Nov. 1968 was to host the first conference to bring attention to the collection of photographic objects. Mr. Beaumont Newhall had come as our key speaker; please check The Daguerreian Society Newsletter, May/June 2006 for the full story.
Dec. of that year the Ohio Camera Collectors Society was formed and I served as the first president. While at OSU things were to change quickly for the Dept. of Photography and Cinema with the introduction of classes teaching the History of Photography; the 502 class was well received and I became the instructor 1969. My questions about all the 19th century photo processes then were insistent and I felt that I must undertake to try my hand at the Daguerreotype process quickly. I did have several early volumes that contained information and instructions as the making of Daguerreotypes, and after many failed efforts 1969, I did finely made my first image the fall of 1970. The Daguerreian Society was started with the publishing of The New Daguerreian Journal, Aug, 1971, with Vol. 1, No.1, and continued untill July, 1975. Designed with the original journal in mind, the NDJ was to include a ton of information on/or about historic people, process, and cameras and other related tools used to make Daguerreotypes. I also wanted to encourge the use of the Daguerreotype process for modern images, and would show as many new images as possible, the image of Chris Duckworth made on a front surface mirror is a great example; Vol.3 No.1.
Please enjoy reading my account of Prof. Simon Alexander Wooley in the OSU classroon in the Sept./Oct. 2006 issue of theDaguerreian Society Newsletter.
I’m always open to any and all ideas about the making of Daguerreotypes or any other 19th century photo process; be safe and enjoy.
Walter Johnson
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I need to sit down and read it more carefully but I have to get to work before I’m any later than I already am!
