Daguerreotypes: How Fragile Are They?

In this episode of the fine art photography podcast: a quick followup to my discussion of daguerreotypes from my previous episode (number 23 Southworth & Hawes) --  just how fragile were they? There's a common perception, supported by much early documentation, that daguerreotypes are easily wiped off the plate. But modern science seems to contradict that.

The Daguerreotype: Nineteenth Century Technology and Modern Science by M. Susan Barger and William B. White, (Available new and used on Amazon)

Cover art: Daguerreotype portrait of Louis Daguerre, inventor of the process, photographed in 1844 by Jean-Baptiste Sabatier-Blot.

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