Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-10-31
THE DAGUERREOTYPE.


! fiji the cnlors permanently, is disclosed III
The following article, copied from The Lon
don Globe. For disclosing the secret, NJ
!Daguerre is said to have received from the
French Government 5000 francs. and NJ
Niepce, who also made discoveries in the
same direction, 4,000 francs.
From the London Globe Of August %.
II having heen announced that the pro-
cess employed by NJ. Dasucrre for liking
images of objects by The CAMERA Olrscuri
would be revealed on Monday. at the Sit
ting of the Academy of Sciences. every
parlof The space reserved Tor vlsllers was
filled as early as one o'clock, although II
WAS known that The description OF the pro
SIS would no, take place until three. Up
wards of two hundred persons who could
nor obtain admirrancc remained in the cau'fi
ward OF The Palace of the Institute. The
following in an analysis Of rhe description
given on this occasion by NJ. Araso:
The inhu nee Of light upon colors was
known long ago. 1t had been observed
that substances expnsed to its action were
affected by il; but beyond this fact moth
ing was known until 1896, when peculiar
ore of silver was discovered, to which was
given the name of argent curne, and which
had the property olhecOming black when
exposed to the light photographic sci
ence remained at This point until il was
discovered that this argent cornc, (cflOru-
rel of silrer) did not become LACK under
all the rays of light. Ii was remarked
that The violet ray was ,ha, which pvdu-
ced the greatest influence NJ. 4. BaptIste
Porla then Invented The camera ohscura,
and numerous efforts were made to fix
the pretty miniature objects which were
seen upon the table of it, and The transllory
appearance of which was subject of gen.
eral regret. All those efforts were fruit
less up 10 the time OF The invention Of NJ.
Nepce, which preceded that Of NJ. Da.
suerre, and led to the extraordinary re-
sult that The latter gentleman has obtained.
NJ. Niepce, after 4 host of attempts, en-
ployed sheets Of silver, which he covered
with bitunen (bitumc de Ju,ies) dissolved
iii oil Of lavender, the whole being covered
with varnish. On heating these sheets,
the oil disappeared, and there remained a
whi,ish power adhering to the sheet
This sheet, thus prepared, was placed in
the camera ohScura; hut when with
drawn the objects were hardly visible up
.un ii. NJ. Niepce then resore,l TO new
means for rendering the objects more dis
tinct. For this purpose, he put his sheets
whca removed from the camera ahscura,
into mixture ofoil nf iavca'ler and oil Of
i,cirolun. How NJ. Niepcc arrived al this
| discovery was not explained to US; it is
sut1irientlo stale that, after this operation,
the objects became as visible as ordinary
eusravines, and it only remained to wash
the sheet with distilled water to make The
drawing permanent. But as the bitune
tie Iudee is rather ash.coored than white,
VI. Niepce had to discover the means OF
increasing the shadows by more deeply
blackenins the lines, (bachures, For this
purpose he employed a new mixture of
sulPhurcr Of potassium and iodine. But
he (M. Niepce) drd not succeed as he en-
pectcd 10 do, for the imIine spread itself
over the whole surface, and rendered the
objects more cuafused The great incon-
veuience, hnwever, of the process was the
little sensiliveness ofthe coating, (eaduit)
ior it sometimes required three days for
the light 10 produce sufficient effect. 1t
will easily be conceived, therefore, that
tins means was not applicable tn the cam
era obscura. upon which it is essential thai
the object should be inslantaneously fixed,
since, lIr relative positions of the sun and
rarlh being changed. the objects formed
by it were destroyed. NJ. Niepce was
therefore without hope Of doing more
than multiplying engravings. in which he
objects, being stationary, are not effected
by The different relative positions Of the
sun. NJ. Dasuerre was devoting himself
T." the same purpose as NJ. Niepce when
he associated himself with thai gentleman,
aud brought to the discovery an important
improvement. The coating employed by
NJ. Niepce had bceu laid on by means of
IA tampon, or dabbler, similar 10 the pro-
cess used i'll printing, and consequently
the coating was neither Of a regular thick
ness nor perfectly white. NJ. Daguerre
conceived the idea of using the resi,uum
which is obtained from lavender by dislil-
ling ii; and to render it liquid aud applca
bic with more uniform and whittier cover.
ing. was not visible al once; it was neces-
sary 10 place it over vase containing
some kind Of essential oil, aud then the
object stood forth. This was not all thai
NJ. Daguerre aimed AZ. The tints were
moi deep enough, aud this composition
was not more sensitive than that of Nj.
Niepce. Three days were still necessary
10 obtain designs. We now come to the
great discovery Of The process for which
NJ. Daguere has received a national re-
ward. 1t is 10 the following effect; A
copper sheet, plated with silver. well clean
ed with diluted nitric acid, is exposed to
the vapor of iodine, which forms the first
coating, which is very thin, as it does not
exceed the nillionth par Of a metre in
thickness. There arc certain indispensa-
ble precautions necessary TO render this
coating of a rim of metal ro,ind Tho vbao,