american hand book of the daguerreotype-第22部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ent；　owing　to　spherical　aberration　and　other　causes。　Many　experiments　having　been　tried　with　the　small　instrument　figured　（p。　199）；　a　reflector　for　taking　portraits　from　life　was　determined　on；　having　eight　inches　diameter；　with　twelve　inches　focal　distance　for　parallel　rays；　this　was　to　admit　plates　of　two　inches　wide　by　two　and　a　half　long　Mr。　Wolcott　having　on　hand　reflectors　of　the　right　diameter；　for　Newtonian　telescopes；　of　eight　feet　focal　distance；　resolved　（as　it　was　a　matter　of　experiment）　to　grind　down　or　increase　the　curve　for　the　focal　distance　before　named　this　required　time。　　In　the　mean　time；　many　plans　were　pursued　for　making　good　plates；　and　the　means　of　finishing；　them。　　As　the　completion　of　the　large　reflector　drew　to　a　close；　our　mutual　friend；　Henry　Fitz；　Jr。；　returned　from　England；　whither　he　had　been　on　a　visit；　and　when　he　heard　what　we　were　about；　kindly　offered　his　assistance；　he　being　well　versed　in　optics；　and　having　been　before　engaged　with　Mr。　Wolcott；　in　that　and　other　business　is　offer　was　gladly　accepted　Mr。　Wolcott　himself　having　frequent　engagement；　to　fill　as　operator　in　the　details　of　mechanical　dentistry。　　Thus；　by　the　aid　of　Mr。　Fitz；　the　reflector　was　polished；　and　experiments　soon　after　tried　on　plates　of　two　by　tow　and　a　half　inches；　with　tolerable　success。　Illness　on　my　part　quite　suspended　further　trial　for　nearly　four　weeks。

On　my　recovery；　early　in　January；　1840；　our　experiments　were　again　resumed　with　improved　results；　so　much　so　as　to　induce　Mr。　Wolcott　and　myself　to　entertain　serious　thoughts　of　making　a　business　of　the　taking　of　likenesses　from　life；　intending　to　use　the　reflecting　apparatus　invented　by　Mr。　Wolcott；　and　for　which　he　obtained　Letters　Patent；　on　the　8th　day　of　May；　1840。　Up　to　January　1st；　1840；　all　experiments　had　been　tried　on　an　economical　scale；　and　the　apparatus　then　made；　was　unfit　for　public　exhibition；　we　resolved　to　make　the　instruments　as　perfect　as　possible　while　they　were　in　progress　of　manufacture。　Experiments　were　made　upon　mediums　for　protecting　the　eyes　from　the　direct　light　of　the　sun；　and　also　upon　the　best　form　and　material　for　a　back…ground　to　the　likenesses。　　The　length　of　time　required　for　a　〃sitting；〃　even　with　the　reflecting　apparatus；　was　such　as　to　render　the　operation　anything　but　pleasant。　Expedients　were　ever　ready　in　the　hands　of　Wolcott：　　blue　glass　was　tried　and　abandoned　in　consequence　of　being；　at　that　time；　unable　to　procure　a　piece　of　uniform　density　and　surface：　afterwards　a　series　of　thin　muslin　screens　secured　to　wire　frames　were　prepared　as　a　substitute　for　blue　glass。　The　objections　to　these　screens；　however；　were　serious；　inasmuch　as　a　multiplication　of　them　became　necessary　to　lessen　the　intensity　of　the　light　sufficiently　for　due　protection　to　the　eyes；　without　which；　the　likenesses；　other　than　profiles；　were　very　unpleasant　to　look　upon。　　Most　of　the　portraits；　then　of　necessity　were　profiles　formed　upon　back…grounds；　the　lighter　parts　relieved　upon　black；　and　the　darker　parts　upon　light　ground；　the　back…ground　proper　being　of　light　colored　material　with　black　velvet　so　disposed　upon　the　light　ground；　this　being　placed　sufficiently　far　from　the　sitter；　to　produce　harmony　of　effect　when　viewed　in　the　field　of　the　camera。　Other　difficulties　presented　themselves　seriously　to　the　working　of　the　discovery　of　Daguerre；　to　portrait　taking　one　of　which　was　the　necessity　for　a　constant　and　nearly　horizontal　light；　that　the　shaded　portions　of　the　portrait　should　not　be　too　hard；　and　yet；　at　the　same　time；　be　sufficiently　well　developed　without　the　〃high　light〃　of　the　picture　becoming　overdone；　solarized　or　destroyed。　In　almost　all　the　early　specimens　of　the　Daguerreotype；　extremes　of　light　and　shade　presented　themselves；　much　to　the　annoyance　of　the　early　operators；　and　seriously　objectionable　were　such　portraits。　　To　overcome　this　difficulty；　Mr。　Wolcott　mounted；　with　suitable　joints；　upon　the　top　of　his　camera；　a　large　looking…glass　or　plane　reflector；　in　such　a　manner　that　the　light　of　the　sun　（as　a　strong　light　was　absolutely　necessary）；　when　falling　upon　the　glass　could　be　directed　upon　the　person　in　an　almost　horizontal　direction。

Early　in　February；　1840；　Mr。　Johnson；　Sen。；　（since　deceased）　sailed　for　Europe　with　a　few　specimen　likenesses　taken　with　the　instruments　completed　as　above；　with　the　intention　of　patenting　the　invention。　On　his　arrival　a　joint　arrangement　was　effected　with　Mr。　Richard　Beard；　of　London；　in　patenting　and　working　the　invention　in　England。　Up　to　February；　1840；　but　few　friends　had　been　made　acquainted　with　the　progress　of　the　art　in　the　hands　of　Mr。　Wolcott　and　myself。　From　time　to　time　reports　reached　us　from　various　sources　of　the　success　of　others；　and　specimens　of　landscapes；　etc。；　were　exhibited　at　Dr。　James　R。　Chilton's　laboratory；　in　Broadway；　much　to　the　gratification　of　the　numerous　visitors　and　anxious　expectants　for　this　most　wonderful　discovery。　Dr。　Chilton；　Professor　J。　J。　Mapes；　Professor　J。　W。　Draper。　Professor　S。　F。　B。　Morse；　all　of　this　city；　Mr。　Cornelius；　Dr。　Goddard　and　others　of　Philadelphia；　Mr。　Southworth；　Professor　Plumbe；　and　numerous　others　were　early　in　the　field；　all；　however；　using　the　same　description　of　camera　as　that　of　Daguerre；　with　modification　for　light；　either　by　enlargement　by　lens　and　aperture　for　light；　or　by　shortening　the　focal　distance。

At　a　conversational　meeting　of　the　Mechanics'　Institute；　Professor　J。　J。　Mapes　being　present；　a　question　was　asked　if　any　one　present　could　give　information　relative　to　portraiture　from　life　by　the　Daguerreotype。　Mr。　Kells；　a　friend　of　Mr。　Wolcott　and　a　scientific　and　practical　man　（sinced　deceased）；　at　once　marked　out　upon　the　black…board；　the　whole　as　contrived　by　Mr。　Wolcott。　　This　gave　publicity　to　the　invention　of　Mr。　Wolcott。　　Shortly　after；　Professor　Mapes；　Dr。　Chilton；　and　many　others；　sat　for　their　portraits；　and　were　highly　gratified。　Professor　Morse　also　came　and　proposed　to　Mr。　Wolcott　to　join　him　in　the　working　of　the　invention；　etc。

From　this　time　much　interest　was　manifested　by　our　friends　in　our　progress。　Rooms　were　obtained　in　the　Granite　Buildings；　corner　of　Broadway　and　Chambers　street；　and　fitted　for　business。　　The　rooms　being　small；　it　was　soon　found　impracticable　to　use　the　arrangement　of　looking…glass；　as　previously　spoken　of；　a　new　plan　became　necessary；　to　introduce　which；　the　sashes　were　removed；

＇page　199＇

and　two　large　looking…glasses　were　mounted　in　proper　frames；　thus：

＇amdg_13。gif＇

Just　in　front；　and　between　the　sitter　and

＇page　200＇

the　reflector；　upon　a　proper　stand；　were　used　those　paper　muslin　screen　before　described；　also　screens　of　tissue　paper。　These　screens。　　however；　when　they　were　used；　required　so　much　time　for　a　sitting；　that　some　other　medium；　as　a　protection　to　the　eyes；　became　absolutely　necessary。　　The　most　plausible　thing　that　suggested　itself　was　blue　glass；　but；　as　this　could　not　be　found；　numerous　were　the　expedients　proposed　by　the　friends　of　the　art；　who　from　time　to　time　visited　our　rooms。　At　the　suggestion　of　Professor　Mapes　（who　is　ever　ready　to　assist　those　in　perplexity）；　a　trough　of　plate　glass　s；　about　twenty…eight　inches　square　in　the　clear；　and　from　three　to　four　inches　thick；　was　filled　with　a　solution　of　ammonia　sulphate　of　copper；　and　mounted　on　the　frame　as　in　the　sketch；　which；　for　a　time；　answered　extremely　well；　soon；　however；　decomposition　of　this　solution　became　apparent　from　the　increased　length　of　time　required　for　a　sitting；　although　to　the　eye　of　an　observer；　no　visible　cause　for　such　long　sittings　could　be　pointed　out。　Professor　Mapes　being　appealed　to；　suggested　that　to　the　above　solution　a　little　acid　be　added　which　acted　like　a　charm　shortening　the　time　for　a　sitting　from　six；　eight；　or　ten　minutes　to　that　of　about　one。　　Decomposition；　however；　would　go　on　by　the　action　of　light　and　heat　through　the　solution。　New　solutions　were　tried；　when　the　whole　were　finally　abandoned　as　being；　too　uncertain　and　troublesome。　（The　reflecting　apparatus　R；　was　placed　upon　the　stand　as　in　the　sketch；　with　a　wedge　for　elevating　the　camera；　between　it　and　the　table；　to　obtain　the　image　properly　upon　the　plate。）　A　quantity　of　blue　window　glass　was　next　obtained；　and　holes　drilled　through　the　corners　of　it；　and　several　sheets　were　wired　together　to　increase　the　size；　and；　when　complete；　was　suspended　from　the　ceiling　in　its　proper　place；　and　so　arranged　that　when　a　person　was　sitting；　this　sheet　of　glass　could　be　moved　to　and　from；　the　object　of　which　was　to　prevent　shadows　on　the　face　of　the　sitter　produced　from　the　uneven　surface　of　the　glass。　This　latter　contrivance　was　used　until　a　perfect　plate　of　glass　was　procured。

The　number　of　persons　desirous　of　obtaining；　their　miniatures；　induced　many　to　entertain　the　idea　of　establishing　themselves　in　the　Art　as　a　profession；　and　numerous　were　the　applications　for　information；　many　persons　paying　for　their　portraits　solely　with　the　view　of　seeing　the　manner　of　our　manipulations；　in　order　that　they　might　obtain　information　to　carry　on　likeness…taking　as　a　business。

The　reflecting　camera　being　a　very　troublesome　instrument　to　make；　and　difficulties　besetting　us　from　every　source；　but　little　attention　could　be　given　to　teaching　others；　and；　indeed；　as　the　facts　seemed　to　be　at　this　time；　we　knew　but　little　of　the　necessary　manipulations　ourselves。　In　course　of　time；　several　established　themselves。　The　first　one；　after　ourselves；　who　worked　the　discovery　of　Daguerre　for　portrait　taking　in　this　city；　was　a　Mr。　Prosch；　followed　soon　after　by　many　others；　in　almost　all　cases　copying　the　reflecting　arrangement　for　light；　as　figured　above；　many　using　it　even　after　we　had　long　abandoned　that　arrangement　for　a　better　one。

Innumerable　obstacles　to　the　rapid　advance　of　the　daguerreotype；　presented　themselves　almost　hourly；　much　to　the　annoyance　of　ourselves；　and　those　dependent　upon　our　movements　for　their　advancement。　　Among　the　most　difficult　problems　of　the　day；　was　the　procuring　of　good　plates。　　Messrs。　　Corduran　&　Co。　were　among　the　first　to　supply　the　trade；　at　that　early　day；　however；　it　was　a　very　rare　thing；　to　be　able　to　procure　an　even　perfect　surface；　from　the　fact　that　a　pure　surface　of　silver　could