It's Louis Daguerre's birthday today. It's been 229 years since his birth.
The image is a JPEG of a photogravure by William J. Mozart from an 1890 issue of The Photographic Times. It shows sculptor Jonathan Scott Hartley (who went by J. Scott) working on what would become the bronze portrait of Daguerre for the Daguerre Memorial a.k.a. Daguerre Monument. The Memorial was commissioned by the Photographers Association of America in honor of Daguerre. It was erected in 1890 and can now be seen at the National Portrait Gallery on 7th Street N.W. in Washington, D.C.
Rather quaintly, the base of the statue reads, "Photography, the electric telegraph, and the steam engine are the three great discoveries of the age. No five centuries in human progress can show such strides as these." Well.
I found this in the minutes of a P.A. of A. meeting in 1891:
...But not forgotten. Here's to you, Louis.
Le weekend
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the PA272w-BK-SV has arrived, and I've set it up in the living room driven by my older laptop. As usual, TOP will be back on Monday. I suspect I will be kept busy this weekend with computer configurations and calibrating the display &c.
The weather is beautiful here. More anon, and may you have a lovely weekend where you are.
Mike
(Thanks to Bob Stothfang)
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Mike -- you're losing it, my friend. "The weather is beautiful," you say, but you are going to spend the weekend crouched over na hot laptop and screen, working out settings.
Mike, you do that all winter! In the meantime, collect some bright, happy landscapes to lighten the winter gloom! Not much time left for that!
Meanwhile, here in the tropics, we have a pleasant, cloudy day but sooner or later, the sun will break through for a scorcher! LOL.
Cheers, Geoff
Posted by: Geoffrey Heard | Friday, 18 November 2016 at 04:51 PM
Ha! I've seen it with my own eyes! I can't remember if I took a photo of it, though I do recall the quaint inscription. (I don't mean quaint in a derogatory way, but you couldn't ask for something more of it's time.) Like most cast bronze statuary, the low contrast between shadow and highlights hide the sculptor's insight. The illustration you give above is really well lit, and does a nice job of showing off Mr. Scott's skill.
Happy birthday M. Daguerre!
Posted by: Trecento | Friday, 18 November 2016 at 06:45 PM
100photos.time.com
Posted by: Bill Mitchell | Friday, 18 November 2016 at 08:43 PM
Ha! Geoff beat me to it... get outside!!
Posted by: David | Saturday, 19 November 2016 at 05:32 AM
How ironic then that today--Louis Daguerre's birthday--I should receive my copy of Keith Davis's The Origins of American Photography - From Daguerreotype to Dry-Plate!
Posted by: GKFroehlich | Saturday, 19 November 2016 at 03:34 PM
OT:
The Barnes Museum in Philly currently is exhibiting French photography from the Impressionist period.
http://www.barnesfoundation.org/exhibitions/live-and-life-will-give-you-pictures
My wife and I visited the Barnes yesterday. Our expectations were low, given prior Barnes special exhibitions. Well exceeded! For anyone in the metropolitan region, it is well worth it.
How's your weather? We were coat-less yesterday afternoon, but after dinner at Blue Corn in the Italian Market, we drove home in buffeting winds, and near home, snow!
Posted by: MikeR | Sunday, 20 November 2016 at 07:11 PM