Daguerreotype
1839–1860The first practical photograph — a mirror that remembers. Silver-plated copper yielding ghostly, shimmering images.
Silver-plated copper sheet sensitized with iodine vapor. Mercury development. Each image unique — no negatives.
French
Invented by Daguerre in 1839. Each plate is a unique mirror-image on polished silver.
Exposure times of minutes required subjects to hold still. The silver surface acts as both image and mirror — viewing angle changes the image.
Mirror silver
Polished silver plate base — the image floats on a mirror.
Material: Polished silver-plated copper
RGB(176, 176, 176)
Shadow blue
Blue-grey of shadow areas due to silver's spectral reflectance.
Material: Mercury-silver amalgam in shadow areas
RGB(74, 90, 106)
Gilded highlight
Many daguerreotypes were gold-toned for warmth and durability.
Material: Gold chloride toning on mercury amalgam
RGB(200, 176, 128)
Case velvet dark
Dark velvet lining of the protective case — essential for viewing.
Material: Black velvet viewing surface
RGB(28, 24, 24)
Tarnish iridescence
Purple-blue iridescent tarnish on aged plates.
Material: Silver sulfide tarnish on unprotected plates
RGB(138, 122, 154)
Mercury flesh
The ghostly grey of flesh rendered in mercury vapor.
Material: Mercury amalgam on silver, mid-density
RGB(168, 160, 152)
Pigments: Silver
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