the history and practice of the art of photography-第3章

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at　it　would　be　difficult　to　say　to　whom　is　due　the　credit　of　the　first　Daguerreotype　portrait。　At　all　events；　so　far　as　my　knowledge　serves　me；　Professor　Morse　deserves　the　laurel　wreath；　as　from　him　originated　the　first　of　our　inumerable　class　of　Daguerreotypists；　and　many　of　his　pupils　have　carried　the　manipulation　to　very　great　perfection。　In　connection　with　this　matter　I　will　give　the　concluding　paragraph　of　a　private　letter　from　the　Professor　to　me；　He　says。

〃If　mine　were　the　first；　other　experimenters　soon　made　better　results；　and　if　there　are　any　who　dispute　that　I　was　first；　I　shall　have　no　argument　with　them；　for　I　was　not　so　anxious　to　be　the　first　to　produce　the　result；　as　to　produce　it　in　any　way。　　I　esteem　it　but　the　natural　carrying　out　of　the　wonderful　discovery；　and　that　the　credit　was　after　all　due　to　Daguerre。　I　lay　no　claim　to　any　improvements。〃

Since　I　commenced　the　compilation　of　this　work；　I　have　had　the　pleasure　of　making　the　acquaintance　of　an　American　gentlemanJames　M。　Wattles　Esq。　who　as　early　as　1828and　it　will　be　seen；　by　what　I　have　already　stated；　that　this　is　about　the　same　date　of　M。　Niepce's　discoveryhad　his　attention　attracted　to　the　subject　of　Photography；　or　as　he　termed　it　〃Solar　picture　drawing；〃　while　taking　landscape　views　by　means　of　the　camera…obscura。　When　we　reflect　upon　all　the　circumstances　connected　with　his　experiments；　the　great　disadvantages　under　which　be　labored；　and　his　extreme　youthfullness；　we　cannot　but　feel　a　national　prideyet　wonderthat　a　mere　yankee　boy；　surrounded　by　the　deepest　forests；　hundred　of　miles　from　the　populous　portion　of　our　country；　without　the　necessary　materials；　or　resources　for　procuring　them；　should　by　the　force　of　his　natural　genius　make　a　discovery；　and　put　it　in　practical　use；　to　accomplish　which；　the　most　learned　philosophers　of　Europe；　with　every　requisite　apparatus；　and　a　profound　knowledge　of　chemistryspent　years　of　toil　to　accomplish。　How　much　more　latent　talent　may　now　be　slumbering　from　the　very　same　cause　which　kept　Mr。　Wattles　from　publicly　revealing　his　discoveries；　viz；　want　of　encouragementridicule！

At　the　time　when　the　idea　of　taking　pictures　permanently　on　paper　by　means　of　the　camera…obscura　first　occurred　to　him；　he　was　but　sixteen　years　of　age；　and　under　the　instructions　of　Mr。　Charles　Le　Seuer；　（a　talented　artist　from　Paris）　at　the　New　Harmony　school；　Indiana。　Drawing　and　painting　being　the　natural　bent　of　his　mind；　be　was　frequently　employed　by　the　professors　to　make　landscape　sketches　in　the　manner　mentioned。　　The　beauty　of　the　image　of　these　landscapes　produced　on　the　paper　in　the　camera…obscura；　caused　him　to　pause　and　admire　them　with　all　the　ardor　of　a　young　artist；　and　wish　that　by　some　means；　he　could　fix　them　there　in　all　their　beauty。　From　wishing　he　brought　himself　to　think　that　it　was　not　only　possible　but　actually　capable　of　accomplishment　and　from　thinking　it　could；　he　resolved　it　should　be　done。

He　was；　however；　wholly　ignorant　of　even　the　first　principles　of　chemistry；　and　natural　philosophy；　and　all　the　knowledge　he　was　enabled　to　obtain　from　his　teachers　was　of　very　little　service　to　him。　To　add　to　this；　whenever　he　mentioned　his　hopes　to　his　parents；　they　laughed　at　him；　and　bade　him　attend　to　his　studies　and　let　such　moonshine　thoughts　alonestill　he　persevered；　though　secretly；　and　he　met　with　the　succes　his　peseverance　deserved。

For　the　truth　of　his　statement；　Mr。　Wattles　refers　to　some　of　our　most　respectable　citizens　residing　at　the　west；　and　I　am　in　hopes　that　I　shall　be　enabled　to　receive　in　time　for　this　publication；　a　confirmation　from　one　or　more　of　these　gentlemen。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　I　feel　confident　in　the　integrity　of　Mr。　Wattles；　and　can　give　his　statement　to　the　world　without　a　doubt　of　its　truth。

The　following　sketch　of　his　experiments　and　their　results　will；　undoubtedly；　be　interesting　to　every　American　reader　and　although　some　of　the　profound　philosophers　of　Europe　may　smile　at　his　method　of　proceeding；　it　will　in　some　measure　show　the　innate　genius　of　American　minds；　and　prove　that　we　are　not　far　behind　our　trans…atlantic　brethren　in　the　arts　and　sciences。

Mr。　Wattles　says：　　〃In　my　first　efforts　to　effect　the　desired　object；　they　were　feeble　indeed；　and　owing　to　my　limited　knowledge　of　chemistry　wholly　acquired　by　questioning　my　teachersI　met　with　repeated　failures　but　following　them　up　with　a　determined　spirit；　I　at　last　produced；　what　I　thought　very　fair　samplesbut　to　proceed　to　my　experiments。〃

〃I　first　dipped　a　quarter　sheet　of　thin　white　writing　paper　in　a　weak　solution　of　caustic　（as　I　then　called　it）　and　dried　it　in　an　empty　box；　to　keep　it　in　the　dark；　when　dry；　I　placed　it　in　the　camera　and　watched　it　with　great　patience　for　nearly　half　an　hour；　without　producing　any　visible　result；　evidently　from　the　solution　being　to　weak。　I　then　soaked　the　same　piece　of　paper　in　a　solution　of　common　potash；　and　then　again　in　caustic　water　a　little　stronger　than　the　first；　and　when　dry　placed　it　in　the　camera。　　In　about　forty…five　minutes　I　plainly　percieved　the　effect；　in　the　gradual　darkening　of　various　parts　of　the　view；　which　was　the　old　stone　fort　in　the　rear　of　the　school　garden；　with　the　trees；　fence；　&c。　　I　then　became　convinced　of　the　practicability　of　producing　beautiful　solar　pictures　in　this　way；　but；　alas！　my　picture　vanished　and　with　it；　allno　not　allmy　hopes。　　With　renewed　determination　I　began　again　by　studying　the　nature　of　the　preparation；　and　came　to　the　conclusion；　that　if　I　could　destroy　the　part　not　acted　upon　by　the　light　without　injuring　that　which　was　so　acted　upon；　I　could　save　my　pictures。　　I　then　made　a　strong　solution　of　sal。　soda　I　had　in　the　house；　and　soaked　my　paper　in　it；　and　then　washed　it　off　in　hot　water；　which　perfectly　fixed　the　view　upon　the　paper。　This　paper　was　very　poor　with　thick　spots；　more　absorbent　than　other　parts；　and　consequently　made　dark　shades　in　the　picture　where　they　should　not　have　been；　but　it　was　enough　to　convince　me　that　I　had　succeeded；　and　that　at　some　future　time；　when　I　had　the　means　and　a　more　extensive　knowledge　of　chemistry；　I　could　apply　myself　to　it　again。　I　have　done　so　since；　at　various　times；　with　perfect　success；　but　in　every　instance　laboring　under　adverse　circumstances。〃

I　have　very　recently　learned；　that；　under　the　present　patent　laws　of　the　United　States；　every　foreign　patentee　is　required　to　put　his　invention；　or　discovery；　into　practical　use　within　eighteen　months　after　taking　out　his　papers；　or　otherwise　forfeit　his　patent。　With　regard　to　Mr。　Talbot's　Calotype　patent；　this　time　has　nearly；　if　not　quite　expired；　and　my　countrymen　are　now　at　perfect　liberty　to　appropriate　the　art　if　they　feel　disposed。　From　the　statement　of　Mr。　Wattles；　it　will　be　perceived　that　this　can　be　done　without　dishonor；　as　in　the　first　instance　Mr。　Talbot　had　no　positive　right　to　his　patent。

Photography；　or　sun…painting　is　divided；　according　to　the　methods　adopted　for　producing　pictures；　into

　DAGUERREOTYPE；　CHROMATYPE；　　CALOTYPE；　　　　　　ENERGIATYPE；　　CHRYSOTYPE；　　　　ANTHOTYPE　and　　CYANOTYPE；　　　　　AMPHITYPE。



CHAP。　II。

THE　THEORY　ON　LIGHT。THE　PHOTOGRAPHIC　PRINCIPLE


Some　philosophers　contend　that　to　the　existence　of　light　alone　we　owe　the　beautiful　effects　produced　by　the　Photogenic　art；　while　others　give　sufficient　reasons　for　doubting　the　correctness　of　the　assumption。　That　the　results　are　effected　by　a　principle　associated　with　light　and　not　by　the　luminous　principle　itself；　is　the　most　probable　conclusion。　The　importance　of　a　knowledge　of　this　fact　becomes　most　essential　in　practice；　as　will　presently　be　seen。　　To　this　principle　Mr。　Hunt　gives　the　name　of　ENERGIA。

THE　NATURE　of　Light　is　not　wholly　known；　but　it　is　generally　believed　to　be　matter；　as　in　its　motions　it　obeys　the　laws　regulating　matter。　So　closely　is　it　connected　with　heat　and　electricity　that　there　can　be　little　doubt　of　their　all　being　but　different　modifications　of　the　same　substance。　I　will　not；　however；　enter　into　a　statement　of　the　various　theories　of　Philosophers　on　this　head；　but　content　myself　with　that　of　Sir　Isaac　Newton；　who　supposed　rays　of　light　to　consist　of　minute　particles　of　matter；　which　are　constantly　emanating　from　lumin