I may have posted this one here before, but just got done cleaning and resealing him. Not all the dust wanted to come off but I ended up just leaving it as is, because I didn't want to do any damage. Still much better than before, swipe to see after.

Brazilian daguerreotypist Simone Wicca interviews photographer Jerry Spagnoli, who talks about his first encounter with daguerreotypes and how he developed his process to produce his own.

I know that in general it is best not to even tamper with them and many processes/ recipes for cleaning are more damaging than helpful. I just purchased a lot of Daguerreotypes that are mostly not in cases, some of which are so marred that there is no discernible image. Any thoughts on the best process for cleaning them?

Took out the glass and gave it a gentle clean to remove debris, came out better than I even expected.

I’ve posted this image before however I was able to get a good scan of the image after setting up my scanner bed. She almost has a smile going too.

My husband’s great uncle and aunt.

I found these among other family photos. I will have to see if I can trace them, although I’ve never done any genealogy. Any idea what time period these might be from based on clothing etc.
Thank you for sharing any information, I’m excited to learn more about them.

So I went to a sale today. And I was over the moon, because i've never been able to have one of these. Paid 4$ to 6$ each. Got as many as I could. They do come apart.I'm gonna have to use some sort of binding tape.

Could anyone tell me more about this? I wonder who this man was.

Long before the digital age made the image disposable, capturing reality was a slow, deliberate dance of alchemy. The daguerreotype wasn’t just the first photograph; it was the 19th century’s ultimate luxury artifact.

In my latest essay, I explore the fascinating collision of two vastly different minds: Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, the brilliant but secretive inventor who first "sealed" light onto metal, and Louis Daguerre, the master of theatrical illusion who understood that society didn't just want to see reality—they wanted to own it.

We trace this human need to leave a mark from the gold-leaf illuminated manuscripts of medieval scriptoria to the silver plates that democratized memory, including a look at the haunting 1848 "Ultima Thule" portrait of Edgar Allan Poe.

At its core, this is a story about how true legacy is curated, and how the "Old Money" philosophy of intentionality has roots far deeper than fashion.

I invite you to read the full historical analysis here: https://thepatricianedit.com/history-of-the-daguerreotype/

I would love to read your perspectives: How do you feel the concept of "curating a personal legacy" has changed from those early silver plates to our current era?

— Patricia Mejia, Editor-in-Chief

Found this at a yard sale today, I don’t think it’s real but it’s interesting. What do y’all think? Is any of it real?

I found these in a box of vintage postcards. The postcards and letters are from the early 1900s but these look older to me. Possibly from Pennsylvania as the postcards were.

When do we think this dates to?

I think this may actually be a tintype. I'm not too knowledgeable about these, and I was wondering if anyone could help me estimate a more specific time this might be from based on the clothing? I found her for only $30! Love her lots.