Florida Memory is administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services, Bureau of Archives and Records Management. The digitized records on Florida Memory come from the collections of the State Archives of Florida and the special collections of the State Library of Florida.
State Archives of Florida
- ArchivesFlorida.com
- State Archives Online Catalog
- ArchivesFlorida.com
- ArchivesFlorida.com
State Library of Florida
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Listen: The Assorted Selections ProgramDaguerreotype Photography
- This is the earliest photographic process available to the public.
- Daguerreotype images are exposed on a highly polished thin silver plate, giving them a mirror-like quality.
- Daguerreotypes are not reproducible, so each photograph is one of a kind.
History
In 1839, French inventor Louis-Jacques Mandé Daguerre announced an invention he called the daguerreotype; the world’s first practical photographic process. Daguerre sold the technical details of his technology to the Kingdom of France in return for a lifetime pension, and the government in turn made it free to the public. The first photo known to be taken in Florida is a daguerreotype of Key
West, in about 1849.
A daguerreotype consists of a highly polished silver plate coated in photosensitive chemicals and exposed to light, fixed, and then encased. The mirror-like quality of a daguerreotype meant the viewer had to shift the image under light to see all of the details. Another significant drawback was the necessity of using dangerous chemicals like iodine and mercury. Daguerreotypes came in a variety of standard sizes. Most common was the sixth plate, measuring about 2 ¾ inches by 3 ¼ inches. Some daguerreotypists would color these images by hand using various pigments, for an additional fee.
Daguerreotypes required protection, typically accomplished by placing the image between a piece of glass and a brass mat with a paper seal along the edges. Sealed daguerreotypes were often placed in decorative cases. These photos are not reproducible, meaning every daguerreotype is one of a kind.
Did You Know?
It is a misconception that the stern expressions on the faces of photo subjects were due to the amount of time they had to sit still while the image was taken. People’s stoic appearances stemmed more from how they thought about the experience of being photographed. In the 1800s, having your picture taken carried much of the same dignity and distinction as being painted. Author Mark Twain’s thoughts about smiling in photographs were recorded in Elizabeth Wallace’s 1913 travelogue Mark Twain and the Happy Island: “I think a photograph is a most important document, and there is nothing more damning to go down to posterity than a silly, foolish smile caught and fixed forever.”
Daguerreotype bird's eye view overlooking various buildings in downtown Key West, ca. 1849. (State Archives of Florida)
