The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-29
BIRTH OF THE CAMERA.
Daguerre's First Subject Tells of
the Invention of Photography.

Dasuerre's First Subject Tells of
the Invention of Photography.
From the Salt Lake Herald
From the tive-minute shting to the in
stantaneous flash. from the stony repro
duction to the p.cturing OF life itself, Gus
Henriod of Nephi has run the garnut OF
photographed development. Mr. Henriod
was present at, he even assisted in the
birth Of pilot ography. He has seen the
infant grow through the last sixty odd
years until It mas become cae of the
most valued adjuncts OF modern civiliza-
tion.
1t was along in the year 1899 that d.
guerre, an obscure little Frenchman.
came 10 the home of Mr. Henrfod's faith
or and asked to be taken in as boarder
This was In the seaport town of Havre.
then, as now, one of the most important
maritime centers In the world The elder
Henriod was a marine insurance writer
he had a large house, and there was
room In IL for Daguerre
One morning at the breakfast table De-
guerre amused the Henrlod family by tell
ing OF a curious experience he had had
1AAtAb lHC hlkHb- ne Sdlu he WAS iK1nK
awake in bed when he noticed on the cetl-
ing above him reflections of people and
carriages. They seemed to be moving
along In an endless procession, and for
a moment Daguerre thought the room
was haunted. Casting about for a solu-
ton OF the mystery, he noticed a small
shaft of moonlight that came through a
knothole in his shutter. He placed his fin
ger over the hole and the procession on
the ceiling stopped. Again he let the light
through and again the PROCESSION began.
The mystery was solved. The people ana
the vehicles were passing along the
street, and their shadows were projected
through the knothole. every other crevice
that light could penetrate being stopped
up.
Here was the birth Of photography. Da-
guerre conceived the notion that images.
such as he had seen, could be fixed ON a
plate. He set to work on his notion. pub
fishing notes Of his discoveries from time
TO time, and being laughed at for his
paens until the hour came when the scot
fers we're silenced.
m. Daguerre had been working on
his invention for a year or more when he
called me into his service" said Mr.. Hem
riod, the other day. II was then a lad
of not more than or years OF age. He
asked me to sit for him while he made
some experiments. ! tell you Il was
trying work for a small boy to sit per-
fectly still for six. seven, eight. ten min
utes at time. Mr. Daguerre took me into
hts dark room frequently. He had bored
a little hole in the shutter. and on sun
shiny days the images of passing people
and things would be cast through 1t onto
the ceiling.
Then he made what he caIeid a cham
bre noire. or. as you would say, a cam
era obscnra. II had a lens TO e. and he
would make NE sit In front OF the lens
many minutes during his experiments. At
first ne could catch only a shadowy out
line OF my figure. Then he caught a dark.
solid mass without any features at all
But seven months after began 70 SIT
for him he produced a very fair likeness.
and he was the happiest man you ever
saw. The camera was considered by all
who saw II 20 be most wonderful in
vention II IS true that those who desired
their pictures taken must SIT possibly ten
minutes TO bring out the likeness. The
least motion would ruin the picture ana
then II would all have 70 be done over
again. Then separate sitting had 10 be
given for each picture. That n. IL you
wanted a dozen pictures who had 20 at
a Dozen times. They couldn't all be print
ed from one plate as now But NJ d.
guerre kept on working nntil he had az
least laid strong foundation for the pho
Biography Of to-day Now they take a pic
ture. zip. like that ana it's All over
Mr.. Heuriod shrugged his shoulders
glcefuily. 7 am proud ~ my acquainf-
Suce with Daguerre" h. c0nclnded. Even
though ! was bat a small BOY when
knew him. ! have remembered him all
the yearp ~ my lire, and ] shall contlnus
10 remember him 10 the ends