New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-07
THE AGE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CENTENARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF A
WONDERFUL ART.
MR.. GEORGE G. LOCKWOOD RECALLS SOME UN
FAMILIAR FACTS AND DISCUSSES
coMr prrE~T INVENTIONS,


FAMILIAR FACTS AND DISCUSSES
SOME RECENT INVENTIONS
70 IA. Edttor OF TIE Trtoame
Sir: There is a pleasant coincidence in the fact
that photography at this time may, in sense,
celebrate a centennial. 1t is but little known
that the earliest experiments in that beautiful art
which was supposed to have been invented by
Daeuerre and Nicephore Niepce, of France and
Fox Talbot, of England, should but very recently
have suddenly been brought to light, and with
them the fact that the art which we have sup
posed was invented about fifty years ago is really
a century old. 1t was invented in the last CEN
tury. was successfully practised passed away,
was forgotten and again, evidently, the same
nriuciples were discovered, the art was again IN
vented and practised, and not until many years
had nassed was the fact discovered that what we
have supposed to be new art is what may DE
called q lost art newly discovered. That all OF
this is true there is the most conclusive evidence
That Daguerre, Niepce, Talbot and Others invented
what is known the Photographic art is true
beyond question; that they knew nothing of there
ever having been such an art before seems
equally conclusive.
About twenty-five years ago were discovered
in England real sun pictures, and circumstances
prove that these pictures have been in existence
certainly more than a century. We are not sur
prised that many of the beautiful arts known be-
fore the Dark Ages during that period passed
away: but it is wonderful event in history that
photography was discovered and successfully
practised in the last century and was suddenly
extinquished. Not only were pictures made by
the action of the suns rays upon paper. but upon
silvered plates
The discovery concerning the first era OF pho
Biography was made in December, 1868, or Janu-
ary. 1864, by Mr.. Smith, then Curator OF the
British Museum of Patents and Inventions. The
prints and plates, as we'll documentary evil
dence of most conclusive kind, are in possession
of the museum 1t is stated that number OF
scientists, known as the Lunar Society, met TO
communicate their researches at the house OF
Matthew Bolton, at Soho. They numbered among
them such men as James Watt, Josiah Wedgwood
and Dr. Parr. Their experiments were prlncl-
pally on light, with the hope of producing re-
fected pictures but the practical use OF the DIS
covery seems to have been in the hands of an
artist named Eginton, who was in the employ OF
Bolton 1t is certain that they made and sold
copies Of pictures by the quantity at very low
rates.
Bv mere accident, some of these old pictures
have survived. They copies of works by
Murillo, West Kaufman and Others and have all
1t is particularly noted that the paper is of the
old manufacture of Whatman's mills, the present
proprietors stating that no such paper has been
made there for the last hundred years The
pictures are all reversed from the originals. The
color does not sink into the paper, but may be
wiped off the surface by damp finger. This is
not the case with photographs now made, for
though on the surface of the paper, they are not
erasable without sufficient violence to destroy
the paper entirely, and can ordinarily be handled
and rubbed without damage. Fortunately Mr.
Smith obtained duplicate Of one subject which
is so minute in its similarity to be sufficient to
prove that the process was strictly mechanical
one. The experiments and discoveries of Wedg-
wood and Watt, although producing Photographic
pictures were not the foundation of the present
art Of photography. AS a recent writer says:
What these men performed were experiments;
the logic of the experiments was detective; the
art of photography could not be elaborated out
of Them
A short time ago DR.. II. c. Bolton, Of New
York. published the results of some investigations
he had made concerning this old Lunar Society.
In the pursuit of these he found some extremely
interesting letters of Or. Prestly to Thomas
Wedgwood, and also memorandum of expert
ments and observations the production OF
light from different bodies by heat and attriton."
Thomas Wedgwood published two papers under
the above title in the Philosophical Transactions
for 1892. Wedgwoods experiments in photo
graphy, made in 1791-'93 were not published un-
til 1902, and then under the name of Sir Hum
phry Davy. The article is entitled An Ac-
count of the Method of Copying Paintings upon
GLASS; and of Making Profes by the Agency of
Light upon the Nitrate of Silver, Invented by
Thomas Wedgwood, Esq, with Observations by
H. Davy." journal of the Royal Institution,
June, 1902 A fac-simile of Wedgwoods hello
type, taken at Etruvia in 1791-'93, forms a
frontispiece of Miss Meteyard's Group of Eng
lishmen.'
Fox Talbot, of England, and Niepce de ST.
Victor and Daguerre of France, all at the same
time, about fifty years ago, began a series of ex-
periments independently and unknown to each
other. Daguerre invented or discovered the prn-
ciple of the daguerreotype, and announced it
half a century ago-in 1888. Fox Talbot dis
covered species of printing on paper, and
ST. Victor the fact that certain substances were
rendered insolube under the suns rays Da-
queries process altogether the most valuable,
original and practicabe-in fact it may be doubt
ed if the experiments of the other two would
ever have been of practical value if Daguerre's
process had not been complete
Europe early led in the scientific development,
but America in the practical application 1t is
difficult to decide as between Professor Morse and
Professor John Draper in the introduction of the
daguerreotype in America. My impression is that
Professor Morse the first TO bring specimens
of tie silver image to America. as he was per-
sonal acquaintance of Daguerre. But Draper was
the first to make good daguerTeotypes. and many
Of his victims" who sat in the blazing sun for
hours on top of the old University Building arc
still alive, each of whom asserts that he has the
first, absolutely the first, daguerreotypc taken in
this country" have a very interesting bit of
history from the pen of Mr.. Sidney Morse. in
which he claims for his brother, Professor Morse,
much of the credit which has been awarded Pro