Making our first artist gallery from Daguerre’s country are the plates of the president of the Daguerre association of France. Marc Kereun has been making daguerreotypes since 1979 and has been a prolific practioner over the years with the mercurial process. A leader in the daguerreian field in France he gives demonstrations of the process, most recently in February this year at the Gruérien Museum, Switzerland in conjunction with the “Mirrors Silver” exhibition of daguerreotypes of Girault de Prangey.

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FIRST REVOLUTION, 1839: DAGUERREOTYPES AND THE INTIMATE GAZE

MAY 1 – 31
OPENING MAY 7, 7 – 9PM

Another upcoming exhibition features Mike’s daguerreotypes alongside vintage examples also from Toronto. A preview of some of the half plate portraits Mike made for the the exhibit can now be seen on his cdags.org gallery page.

The exhibit within the oldest remaining brick home from the Town of York recreates the intimacy of daguerreotypes’ original surroundings;

“Displayed within the authentic surroundings of Campbell House – on a mantelpiece, by a bed, in a traditional wooden cabinet – the exhibition highlights the intimate relationship that occurs between the viewer and the photographic object. As daguerreotypes were sometimes viewed in stereoscope, there will be a reproduction stereoscopic machine for viewing a specially selected image. An exhibition in the19th-century ballroom explains the medium’s origins and celebrates the story of Eli Palmer, Toronto’s first known daguerreotypist. Lecture by Mike Robinson, May 14, 8 pm, “Daguerreotypes, Past and Present.”

160 Queen St W, Toronto M5H 3H3
Tues – Fri, 9:30AM – 4:30PM, Sat – Sun 12 – 4:30PM
exhibition website link

A selection of occupational portraits have been added to Eric’s gallery, these images can be viewed in his current exhibition recently posted here – details available on the events page.

Images recently sent in by Takashi Arai were also accompanied by views of his equipment which have now been added to the technology galleries (mercury pot, fuming boxes and gilding stand). We are most grateful for these as its of great interest to practitioners, both veteran and newcomer.

One of the biggest events in the contemporary daguerreian calendar in recent years is set for September 12 to October 18, 2009, in l’Hôtel de Malestroit building in Bry-sur-Marne, France.

From Marc Kereun, Curator of the exhibition;

“Since the invention of daguerreotype, multiple techniques have finally transformed the production of photography from argentic to digital technology. But despite the dominant position of digital photography, some contemporary daguerreotypists perpetrate the Art of Daguerre on the five continents. The subjects chosen by these artists come from very different inspiration landscape exploring the modern world but also the past. Therefore contemporary daguerreotypes regain interest in a world where virtual images prevail. The fact that it cannot be reproduced makes it today of piece of art when it was considered for some time as a handicap.
To celebrate the 170th anniversary of the disclosure of the daguerreotype technology, « Louis Daguerre, le Magicien de l’Image » Association and the Adrien Mentienne Museum in Bry-sur-Marne have organized a major exhibition of contemporary daguerreotypes made in recent years. Dedicated to a large audience who wait only to be surprised, this exhibition will show the diversity of themes explored by this medium as well as the finesse of the different artistic routes of theirs authors.
The exhibition will take place in Hôtel de Malestroit building in Bry-sur-Marne, nearby Paris, where Louis Daguerre lived from 1839 to his death in 1851.
If you are interested in participating, as daguerreotypist, to this exhibition planed from the September 12, to October 18, 2009, please send us back by email, the attached form.”

Click on the links below for the official call for submissions and the submission form:

Curatorial invitation (pdf)        Form for submission of Daguerreotypes to the Exhibition (pdf)
Form for submission of Daguerreotypes to the Exhibition (word document)

So much to post about these days, here’s a gem just added to Irving’s gallery…

A recent move to mercurial development has paid great dividends to Takashi Arai. Portraiture has always been his strong suit and the new ones in his gallery have a intimate and captivating quality.

First addition to our revamped galleries page (artist pages organised by process) are the daguerreotypes of Rosemary Winn. Having learned the Becquerel process from Jerry Spagnoli she has gone on to make her own sensitizing box and learned the art of polishing plates. Also Rosemary has –
” been trying out a contact printing method, where I take 4×5 positives of these ‘photographic constructions’ such as the ‘Outer banks’ & ‘Chesapeake’ which are these papercutting/mix media constructions, that I wanted to translate into daguerreotype”.

California seems the place to be with more and more daguerreotype exhibits cropping up there, the latest on the horizon showcases the work of Eric Metens;
“I was excited to be asked to participate in a group art show at Kuhl Frames +Art in Oakland. Travis is the owner of this hip shop in downtown Oakland who is dedicated to representing emerging artist to the community and has very inspiring art shows hung in his space monthly… Among some of my older pieces I will be showing a group of occupational portrait daguerreotypes from an ongoing series that will be extended through the summer.”