Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-210) and index.
Contents:
Introduction -- "Rembrandt perfected": the art, science, and technology of Samuel F. B. Morse -- "All nature shall be henceforth its own painter": the intersection of art and daguerreotyping -- "We will not bore our readers with any more chemistry": science and the daguerreotype -- "The American process": the daguerreotype and technology -- Conclusion.
Summary:
"Gillespie maps the evolution of the daguerreotype, as medium and as profession, from its introduction to the ascendancy of the "American process," tracing its relationship to other fields and the professionalization of those fields. She does so by recounting the activities of a series of American daguerreotypists, including fine artists, scientists, and mechanical tinkerers. She describes, for example, experiments undertaken by Samuel F. B. Morse as he made the transition from artist to inventor; how artists made use of the daguerreotype, both borrowing conventions from fine art and establishing new ones for a new medium; the use of the daguerreotype in various sciences, particularly astronomy; and technological innovators who drew on their work in the mechanical arts. "--Publisher's website.
Series:
Lemelson center studies in invention and innovation
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.