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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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Daguerreian society website
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:40 am
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:40 am
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http://daguerre.org/index.php

They have a searchable library of 1840s and 50s photos, where you can see how good some of the early lenses were and wonder about these (mostly) anonymous people gazing out at us across the centuries. Is it just my imagination or do many of the faces have fear, misery and hardship etched into them?


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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 3:55 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 3:55 pm
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There is incredible size "film" I think quality came from that not really from lens.One old man here still make it , quality is incredible.


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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 4:25 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 4:25 pm
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PaulC wrote:
http://daguerre.org/index.php
Is it just my imagination or do many of the faces have fear, misery and hardship etched into them?


Well, considering that they had to pose completely still for minutes, there is no wonder that their face expressions look uncomfortable or even suffering.


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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:15 am
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:15 am
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Orio wrote:
PaulC wrote:
http://daguerre.org/index.php
Is it just my imagination or do many of the faces have fear, misery and hardship etched into them?


Well, considering that they had to pose completely still for minutes, there is no wonder that their face expressions look uncomfortable or even suffering.


Apparently the original Dageurrotype process could take more than an hour in sunlight to get an exposure but by 1841 the chemistry and optical equipment was improved to the point where 10 seconds could be sufficient. http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/goddard.htm. I think it was only after those developments that the commercial portrait business took off, so these were probably sittings of 10 to 20 seconds.
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