The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-10-21
Very truly yours,
GROVER CLEVELAND,
A GREATDIsCOvERER

The country is now engaged in cele-
brating with great enthusiasm and mag
nificence the discovery of the Western
Hemisphere by Christopher Columbus.
Speeches, Odes, professions, monuments
attest the public admiration and venera.
ton for his memory. This is as 1T should
be. Extraordinary merit deserves extra
ordinary recognition.
Almost within the present century lin
the year 1880, there was born at Cornell
les, in France, Louis Jacques Mande
Daguerre, who discovered the method
of making pictures by the sun, and who
died only al years ago. The develop
ment of NJ. Danguerre's discovery, which
has resulted in TIE wonderful photo
graph, has almost revolutioniZed the
world of art and bestowed Unreasonable
benefits upon the whole civilized world.
So modest were his ideas of the import
ance of his discovery, however, he was
willing to accept a pension of $1,000 a
turn for making known the processes of
his great invention for public use.
Events have since shown that the photo
graphic process has become an import
ant factor in nearly every department of
kindred and friendship have been
strengthened and elevated through por-
traitures so faithful and vivid that the
painters brush can rarely equal them,
and yet at slight expense. The realm of
art has been brought within the reach of
the humblest by marvellous copies of
famous pictures and works of art, as well
as by original pictures thus taken. In
deed, artists are greatly aided by the
Photograph in their work. Great audi
ences have in imagination enjoyed the
pleasures of foreign travel through pic
lures of the cities, monuments, scenery,
etc., of other lands by means of the
stereOpticOn. Education has been
greatly helped by the easy and cheap rep
resentation of natural objects and his
torical places which it affords. 1t is a
delightful adjunct of private historical
studies, since pictorial sketches of every
noted country in the world are now easily
collected at a small outlay. A gentle
man of the city who is an amatuer pho
tographer admirable entertalns and
instructs his children and a circle of
friends by stereopticon exhibitions in
his own house. During the past winter
nearly every country on the globe was
depicted before them.
Aside from these uses, which contrib
ute to the general enjoyment, the pho
tographic art is an almost indispensable
aid in scientific and practical life The
Photograph reveals secrets of the heaven
which even the largest telescopes can
not penetrate, and but for its aid the
map of the heavens now in course of con-
struction by astronomers would be i'm
possible. No exploring expedition is
now completely equipped without pho
tographer. transcripts of Egyptian
papyrl and Babylonian tablets are fur
nished to savants of all land for interpret
ing the learning of the ancients for the
benefit of the people of the present day.
In the mercantile world, too, the photo
graph is in constant use for furnishing
representations of articles of manufac-
tureIintended for sale, but too bulky or
otherwise inconvenient to be transported
as samples.
Other advantages arising from the
splendid discovery of DagueTre might be
enumerated, but few moments rehec-
ton will convince any one that it has
conferred boom of wonderful utility
and value upon the world, and one that
should be gratefully recognized. AL
though almost contemporary of the
present generation, and Notwithstanding
the greatness of his invention is mani
fest, it is doubtful If any commensurate
tribute to M. Daguerre has ever been
erected outside of France. The phOtog-
raphers of America would honor them
selves and their profession by establish
ing some memorial of the man to whose
genious they owe the art which they
follow.