For those of you interested in the preservation and history of photography, one of the Library’s senior photograph conservators, Rachel Wetzel will be co-presenting at the Smithsonian for the Topics in Museum Conservation series.
Early American Photography: History and Conservation of Daguerreotypes
June 24, 2025 2:45 pm
Zoom Meeting Link - https://smithsonian.zoom.us/j/86722932966?pwd=OwWhycMxYChUZg6a4rdPF3KSNlmPzK.1
Meeting ID: 867 2293 2966
Passcode: 225227
No registration required
The Photographic History Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History was founded in 1896. Its collections hold some of the earliest artifacts associated with the medium, including daguerreotype plates made in the first few years by Henry Fitz, Jr, Samuel Morse, John William Draper, and Walter Rogers Johnson. Photography curator Shannon Perich will deliver the first portion of this lecture on the rich history and provenance of the early American daguerreotypes in the collection and discuss the collaborative effort between her department, the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute, and the Library of Congress.
Combining resources, research, and expertise for an interdisciplinary approach combining history, science and conservation, the two federal agencies are using 21st century technologies to recover lost 19th century lab histories. In the second half of this lecture, photograph conservator Rachel Wetzel will discuss the preliminary findings of the scientific study that help to shape our understanding of the history of photography in America. Utilizing a technical art history approach, results of scientific analysis, visual examination, and materials studies illuminate some of the working methods of these early Daguerreians. An early outcome from the increased knowledge and understanding of these photographic objects is improved efforts to conserve and preserve early daguerreotypes to ensure their longevity.
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