In early 2005 the International Center of Photography in New York City placed on display a number of early daguerreotypes—one of the earliest forms of photography. Within a month spots and hazing began to mar the images. As Daniel Grushkin recounts in "Nano-Scientists Attempt to Save Disintegrating Artworks," a team of conservators and physicists set out to attempt to understand the nanochemistry that was destroying the 150-year-old artworks. These three images from the exhibit demonstrate how these relics of the recent past began to fade before museumgoers' eyes.

View the Early Daguerreotypes Slide Show

4 Comments

1. 1. Tefft 09:30 PM 12/15/12

   I have one Dag photo of my great Grand father and wife and kids befor my grandfather was born. It is in pretty good shape, What can I do to keep it in good form?? Is there something we can do besides putting it in a nitrogen invironment??? Jerry jrtefft@yahoo.com

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2. 2. h2mac 08:29 AM 12/16/12

   Is it Bodwich or Bowdich? Two different spellings in the caption.

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3. 3. jack.123 11:56 PM 12/18/12

   How did these pictures last up till now?Where and how were they kept in good form until now?This may answer why decay is now occurring.The article doesn't explain how they were stored until now.There was a lot of missing information in the story,and I have been seeing many half done articles like this in Sciam lately.Why?

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4. 4. daguerreian artist 11:27 AM 1/11/13

   
   From personal experience I can tell you that I have 19th century daguerreotypes as well as my own daguerreotypes that have been on continuous display on my studio wall for 10+ years with no sign of change.
   
   Southworth and Hawes plates have a very unique storage history contrary to the norm. The great majority of S&H images that remain were plates retained by the studio stored completely unsealed in plate boxes. A typical preservation package used by the George Eastman House from the mid-1970's to 1999 consisted of 4-ply buffered board with a paper binding tape, and a buffered die cut paper mat separating the plate from the glass. The buffering agent is 3% calcium carbonate to provide an alkali reserve of ph 8.5.
   
   I have experienced the "white haze" phenomena on other of my contemporary images as well as on 19th century images that have been in contact with buffered board. What is good for the conservation of paper, ie alkaline buffering, is not necessarily good for daguerreotypes.
   
   In reviewing the conservation efforts for the Young America Exhibition I learned that plates were not removed from their mat board and die cut preservation packages. These were placed intact into extremely well sealed secondary housings incorporating shallow copper pans to act as pollutant scavengers. A complete overview of the conservation for this exhibition can be found here.
   http://notesonphotographs.org/images/1/1e/Young_America_design_for_web.pdf
   
   If the buffered materials are a co-factor in the formation of "white-haze" deterioration it would explain why even with the best intentioned conservation, some plates still changed during exhibition. A questionable environment was enclosed within a stable one.
   This scenario is a possible alternative and/or co-factor to the silver-chloride scenario presented in the Scientific American article.
   
   Daguerreotypes are among the most stable of photographs providing the housings are intact to prevent pollutants from reacting with the silver surface and the housings themselves are not contributing to the problem. The mechanism of deterioration particular to a small percentage of Southworth and Hawes daguerreotypes is not yet fully understood. This article should not prevent us from exhibiting these amazing photographs. It is prudent, as has been shown by the Young America exhibition, to accurately document any daguerreotype intended for exhibition and carefully monitor it at regular intervals to note any changes.
   
   sincerely,
   
   Mike Robinson
   President of the Daguerreian Society

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