Artist Index: Daguerreotypes

Photographer: Abraham Bogardus (1822-1908). Portrait of a young boy. Early 1850s. Sixth-plate gold-toned daguerreotype with gilt surround, photographer's blindstamp, newly sealed behind glass in leather case with embossed flower ornament.

The American daguerreotypist Abraham Bogardus operated a highly successful portrait studio in New York City, where he produced countless daguerreotype portraits, contributing to the popularization of this medium during the 19th century. His work played a significant role in the development of portrait photography and the spread of this art form across the United States. – A few small tarnish spots, otherwise in very good condition.

Photographer: Southworth & Hawes (active 1843-1863). Group family portrait. Early 1840s. Quarter-plate daguerreotype opened and newly sealed and paper taped.

Southworth & Hawes, the renowned daguerreotype studio founded in 1843 by Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah John- son Hawes, excelled in creating striking and innovative photo- graphic portraits. Their work transcended traditional portrai- ture, capturing not only the physical features but also the inner character and essence of their subjects, setting new standards in the art form. – A few light scratches on surface, some oxidation marks in lower edge, otherwise in good condition.

Lit.: Grant Romer/Brian Wallis. Young America, the Daguerreotypes of Southworth & Hawes. 2005, ill. 1785, p. 458.

(Most probably from a Berlin studio). Portrait of a girl and her doll. Late1840s. Sixth-plate daguerreotype, in original glass cover with paper mat and paper taped (edges slightly rubbed), unopened.

A few light scratches in left edge, otherwise in near excellent condition.

Photographer unknown (German or French). Portrait of a couple. Early 1850s. Sixth-plate daguerreotype with gilt-lined glass surround, in ornate wooden frame.

Silver mirroring around edges, a few small spots, otherwise in very good condition.

Photographer unknown (probably American). Portrait of a mother and her two sons. 1850s. Lightly colored quarter/half-plate (circa 13 x10 cm) daguerreotype with gilt ornamental surround (some tarnish spots), newly sealed behind glass in leather case (edges/corners rubbed/bumped, cover loose) with embossed flower ornament.

Slight tarnishing in edges, a bit dusty, otherwise in very good condition.

Photographer unknown. Portrait of a young couple with a photo album. Early 1850s. Sixth-plate daguerreotype with gilt surround, newly sealed behind glass in leather case (edges/corners rubbed/bumped, cover loose) with embossed flower ornament.

Tarnishing around edges, some dust in lower area, otherwise in very good condition.

Photographer: Henry Pollock (b. 1810, active 1849-89). Portrait of a distinguished man holding a letter. Early 1850s. Quarter-plate daguerreotype with gilt ornamental surround with stamped photographer's name and location (BALTo), behind glass in leather case with red velvet lining and embossed flower ornaments on front and back cover.

Pollock was among the early daguerreotypists in Baltimore. Among the local photographers, he was the most renowned and respected. His distinguished and opulently furnished studio rooms, and especially the separate dressing room for ladies, were an attraction for the wealthy upper class in Baltimore. He used particularly high-quality lenses and large-format cameras that could shoot unusually large plate formats. His name (lower left) and Balt(imore) (lower right) are always stamped on his plain mounts. – A few light corrosion spots on plate, otherwise a clear image in very good condition.

Photographer unknown. Portrait of a man. Circa 1865. Pannotype. 8 x 7 cm (12,5 x 10,5 cm). Mounted in contemporary mat (slightly soiled).

The pannotype (pannus=linen) is a positive collodion image applied to a fine textile fabric (usually linen). These images were cheaper and more robust than the daguerreotypes or the later paper prints, but not as brilliant. They were invented c. 1853 by Jean Nicolas Truchelut and the technique was used by only a few photographers as the production was complicated and cumbersome. These types of images are very rare today. – A few small surface rubbed spots, otherwise in very good condition.

Photographer unknown (probably American). Portrait of a mother and daughter. Late 1840s. Quarter-plate daguerreotype with gilt ornamental surround, newly sealed behind glass in leather case (edges/corners rubbed/bumped) with embossed flower ornament.

Slight tarnishing in edges, otherwise in very good condition.

Photographer unknown (German). Portrait of a mother and son. Circa 1860. Quarter-plate gold-toned daguerreotype with gilt-lined glass surround, in ornate wooden frame.

A few small spots, otherwise a clear image in very good condition.

Photographer: Carl Staritz (active in Breslau, 1845-1850s). Portrait of a man. 1846. Sixth-plate gold-toned daguerreotype with gilt ornamental surround and ornamental gilt tape around glass (small piece missing at bottom), taped behind glass.
Zygmunt Wielowiejski. The Beginnings of Photography in Breslau. Instytut Sztuki Polkiej Akademii Nauk, Wroclaw 2012. A clear image in very good condition.

Photographer: Carl Gustav Oehme (1817-1881). Berlin Biedermeier scene. Circa 1844. Quarter-plate gold-toned daguerreotype, in original paper surround with gilt ornament, photographer's Gustav Oehme, Opticus Mechanicus & Daguerreotypist in Berlin, Jägerstr. No. 20 label on the verso.12,4 x 15 cm.
Bodo von Dewitz and Reinhard Matz (eds.). Silber und Salz. Zur Frühzeit der Photographie im deutschen Sprachraum 1839-1860. Cologne 1989, see p. 675. – Originally a mechanic, Oehme learned the daguerreotype technique from Daguerre himself during a stay in Paris in 1840-1842. As early as 1841 he publically displayed his daguerreotypes, and in 1843 he established a studio as a professional daguerreotypist in Berlin. He was especially well-known for his carefully composed group portraits such as the daguerreotype offered here. He was considered one of the best and prominent daguerreotypists in Berlin in the 1840s. – Some oxidation in lower and left edge, glass renewed and resealed with paper tape, otherwise in very good condition and in original state.

Photographer: 1 possibly by Carl Gustav Oehme (1817-1881). Selected German portraits. Circa 1851. 3 quarter-plate daguerreotypes, in original paper surround with gilt ornament, resealed with tape, annotated in ink on verso.

Originally a mechanic, Oehme learned the daguerreotype technique from Daguerre himself during a stay in Paris in 1840-1842. As early as 1841 he publically displayed his daguerreotypes and in 1843 established a studio as a professional daguerreotypist in Berlin. – Slight oxidation in edges, minimal surface scratches, otherwise in good condition.

Lit.: Bodo von Dewitz and Reinhard Matz (eds.). Silber und Salz. Zur Frühzeit der Photographie im deutschen Sprachraum 1839-1860. Cologne 1989, see p. 675.

Photographer: Jeremiah Gurney (1812-1895). Portrait of an elegantly dressed gentleman. Circa 1845. Daguerreotype (quarter-plate), with original metal surround with photographer's blindstamp in lower edge, taped behind glass and in leather case.

Jeremiah Gurney opened a daguerreotype studio/gallery in New York in 1840 and regularly exhibited his work at local fairs. In 1851, his work was featured at the international exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London. Gurney's Daguerrian Gallery was a large success and it featured galleries with portraits of "Distinguished Persons of the Age" who had been photographed at the studio. By 1853, after the Crystal Palace exhibition he began using paper processes almost exclusively. – Unopened, minimal oxidation in edges, a few spots on glass, otherwise a strong image in very good condition.

Photographer: Johann Friedrich Wilh. Th. Roux (1806-1880). Portrait of a mother and daughter. 1850s. Quarter-plate daguerreotype. With gilt ornamental surround, taped behind glass (opened on back).

Roux was a successful portrait painter most famous for his pastels. He also made daguerreotypes to expand his portraiture business. His works are in the collection of the Landesmuseum Kassel. – Slight oxidation in edges, frame with small losses in edges, otherwise a clear image in very good condition.

Lit.: Wolfgang Kemp/ Floris Neusüss (eds.). Kassel 1850 bis heute. Fotografie in Kassel - Kassel in Fotografien. Munich 1981.
Thieme/Becker. Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenen Künstler. Vol. 29/30, p. 122.

Reclining semi-nude woman. 1850s. Stereo daguerreotype, hand-tinted. Each image circa 6,5 x 5,5 cm. Sealed behind glass (paper sealing worn).


Some oxidation in edges, otherwise in good condition with delicate coloring.

Photographer: L. Herzog, Bremen, J. Chemin, Paris and unknown. Portraits. 1850s - 1860s. 4 daguerreotypes (3 quarter plates and 1 sixth plate), with paper and gilt glass surrounds, each mounted under glass and in various frames and 1 album with miniature ambrotypes.

Some oxidation in edges, a few small spots, one unopened, the others resealed but not treated and in good condition.

Photographer unknown. Portrait of Ferdinand zu Stolberg Werningerode (1775 - 1854). Circa1850. Sixth plate daguerreotype, with paper surround, mounted under glass, in original frame annotated in ink on the verso.

Oxidation in edges, resealed but untreated and in very good condition.

Photographer: Bernd Renard (attributed to). Skeleton. 1980s. Modern half-plate daguerreotype, with paper surround, mounted under glass.

A strong image in very good condition.

Photographer: Woldemar de Renard (1817 - 1900). Portraits. 1850s. 2 daguerreotypes (quarter plates), with gilt paper surrounds, mounted under glass, each with photographre's label on verso.

The labels on these two daguerreotypes bear the name W(oldemar) de Renard. Renard used this name after he travelled to Bergen (Norway), circa 1853 to earn his money as a daguerreotypist and photographer. From 1855 he lived in Göteborg and a little later in Helsingborg and then again, in 1856 coming from Kiel, he returned to Göteborg. In 1860 he ran a photo studio in Hamburg and later moved to Stockholm, where he worked as a photographer until his death. Waldemar's brother was the painter and sculptor Gregorius Renard (1814-1841), who had been running a studio as a daguerreotypist since 1843.
– Oxidation in edges, resealed but untreated and in very good condition.

Photographer: C.F. Rochow (active in Hamburg, 1840s). Individual portraits of a man and woman, most likely husband and wife. Circa 1845. 2 daguerreotypes (sixth-plates), with paper mats, each taped behind glass and with photographer's paper studio label on the verso, in contemporary gilt frames (some wear).

Some oxidation in edges, a few spots on plates, otherwise in good condition.

Photographer: Johann Eberhard Feilner (1802 - 1869). Portrait of a young man with unusual hairstyle. Circa 1848. Daguerreotype (sixth-plate), with ornate black mat with gilt ornamentation, taped behind glass and in modern frame.

Johann Eberhard Feilner was a lithographer in Cologne until he followed his brother Franz to Bremen who had a printing press there since 1825. Here he married and established himself as of 1832 as a portrait painter and drawing teacher. As of 1844 he founded a studio for daguerreotypes in 1844 and in 1845 already advertised exceptionally large daguerreotypes.
For almost two decades Feilner remained the most renowned photographer of the region who was also the first to establish himself permanently in Bremen. After his death in 1869 his son Jean Baptiste Feilner continued the business, establishing branches in Braunschweig, Emden, Oldenburg, Borkum, Bonn, Koblenz, Hannover and Vienna. The Bremen studio continued until 1894. – Minimal oxidation in edges, a few spots on plate, otherwise in very good condition.

Photographer: Johann Jacob Burbach (active in Cologne since 1846). Individual portraits of a man and woman, most likely husband and wife. Circa 1850. 2 daguerreotypes (sixth-plates), with black enamellled surrounds with gilt frame line, each taped behind glass and with photographer's paper studio label on the verso.

Along with Haussmann and Hertting, J.J. Burbach was one of the first professional daguerreotypists in Cologne. In 1846 he opened a "Daguerreotyp-Utensilien-Handlung" and in 1848 he founded his own daguerreotype studio. – Some oxidation in edges, a few spots on plates, otherwise in good condition.

Lit.: Werner Neite. "Die Photographie in Köln 1839 - 1870" in: Jahrbuch des Kölnischen Geschichtsvereins, vol. 46, 1975, see p. 111.
Ludwig Hoerner, "Die Einführung der Photographie in den Metropolen und in der Provinz (1839-1860), in: Bodo von Dewitz/Reinhard Matz (eds.). Silber und Salz. Zur Frühzeit der Photographie im deutschen Sprachraum 1839 -1860, Agfa Foto-Historama, Cologne, 1989, p. 100.

Photographer: Johann Eberhard Feilner (1802 - 1869). Golden wedding anniversary of the Magnus family, Bremen. Circa 1845. 2 half-plate daguerreotypes (each circa11 x 14 cm). Each in paper surrround taped behind glass in contemporary ornamental gilt wooden frames (some chips, missing pieces).

Johann Eberhard Feilner was a lithographer in Cologne until he followed his brother Franz to Bremen who had a printing press there since 1825. Here he married and established himself as of 1832 as a portrait painter and drawing teacher. As of 1844 he founded a studio for daguerreotypes in 1844 and in 1845 already advertised exceptionally large daguerreotypes.
For almost two decades Feilner remained the most renowned photographer of the region who was also the first to establish himself permanently in Bremen. After his death in 1869 his son Jean Baptiste Feilner continued the business, establishing branches in Braunschweig, Emden, Oldenburg, Borkum, Bonn, Koblenz, Hannover and Vienna. The Bremen studio continued until 1894.
The present two daguerreotypes, which actually comprise a diptych, are one of three known identical group portraits two of which are in the National Museum of Photography, Denmark and the Museum Ludwig, Cologne. The occasion of this group portrait is typed on a label on the verso of the daguerreotypes in the Museum Ludwig and in Denmark. It shows the Golden wedding anniversary of the Magnus family of Bremen (circa 1845). The entire family is most likely depicted on the two half-plates. Such a large format daguerreotype showing so many individuals is very rare for images made in German speaking countries at this time. The three known diptychs mentioned above all show the identical image from the same sitting. However, the Cologne daguerreotype is a reverse image of the two offered here as well as the diptych in Denmark. Such reversed images are not uncommon of larger group portraits. With some skill, good lighting and using a mirror it was quite easy to reproduce a daguerreotype. Thanks to this procedure, the photographer was able to eliminate two disadvantages of the daguerreotype. He created a correct image (not inverted as an original daguerreotype was) and a copy for other interested clients, which only became possible just a short time later with the positive-negative process developed by Talbot or Scott Archer.

Literatur: Rainer Wick (ed.) Die Pioniere der Photographie. 1840 - 1900. Die Sammlung Robert Lebeck. Erlangen 1989, ill. p. 33 (original daguerreotypes mounted as a panoramic view).