The silver canvas: Daguerreotype masterpieces from the J. Paul Getty Museum

Abstract

The selection of nearly eighty items for this book was guided by the twin criteria of aesthetic quality and condition.This book is neither a catalogue of the collection nor a history of the daguerreotype in all of its manifestations.Its purpose is to provide both an overview of the very best of the Museum s holding and an introduction to the art of the daguerreotype.The choices were made chiefly on the basis of the visual properties of the daguerreotypes, a yardstick for gauging importance established by centuries of practice evaluating traditional art.In determining quality, physical condition played a large role, since the polished surface of a daguerreotype is extremely fragile and subject to abrasion, fingerprints, oxidation, and other forms of deterioration.Nevertheless, some images with damage or deterioration are so beautiful or unusual in composition that their inclusion was mandatory.The most important element of quality is the visual acuity of the maker-the choice of light, viewpoint, posing, setting, and gesture all contribute to the artistic success of a daguerreotype.In 1972 Bates Lowry and Isabel Barrett Lowry started down a path that eventually led to this book, first as collectors of daguerreotypes and then as scholars.This book represents considerable new research attained in the authors' pursuit of original sources-letters, periodicals, and other documents of the period-as well as the study of other public and private collections of daguerreotypes.Each daguerreotype plate took the authors on a search for new information concerning the historical background, the social context, and the aesthetic factors guiding its makers style.

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