DAY 148

PHOTOGRAPHIC CURIOSITIES

Contemporary Daguerreotypes

FAR FROM A LOST ART

There are currently more artists creating daguerreotypes than during any period in history since the medium was invented.

A daguerreotype is an image created on polished silver by the direct reflection of light off of the subject; the end result is encased in glass for preservation. Common from 1840 through about 1855, the daguerreotype was followed by easier and less expensive forms of photography, including the tintype, ambro-type, and the glass negative with paper print.

To be sure, most contemporary daguerreotypists are drawn to the history of the technique; some have used the process to re-create images from the past. In addition to historical interest, however, many 21st-century daguerreotypists have described a metaphysical attraction to the medium.

Creating an image is challenging and process-intensive, from preparing the materials to safely handling the toxic chemicals that are involved. The inherently unpredictable and fickle process has been compared to baking bread: Beyond simply following a recipe by rote, a certain amount of instinct and feel for the medium are required. Daguerreotypist Charlie Schreiner personifies this element of chance as the “hidden force,” stating that it “loves to pop inflated egos, and returns to instill chaos and replace predictability with uncertainty.” —DJS