A Photograph, a Paragraph ...

I chose this photograph of Emily Dickinson (circa 1847).  E.D. is one of my favorite writers and an idol of my, and who I think of when I think of this era.  Though there is another photograph discovered around 2012, this daguerreotype is the only verified photograph of E.D., taken of her at around age 16-17, and is also the only reference of her in the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts (which I visited for the first time earlier this year).  On the tour, the guides explained the lack of photographs of E.D. as due to the reclusiveness she is well-known for.  However, now I sort of have better context for the availability of photography.  Daguerreotypes were only publicly made available for use in the late 1830s, just a decade before this photograph (which explains the very few images of E.D. as a child in the home, save for one or two that are only speculated to be of E.D. and her siblings).  Furthermore, the daguerreotype included an extensive process, one which I assume was not incredibly cheap.  This photograph of E.D. seems like a special occasion photograph, one that was taken in order to have a beautiful picture to display by her family (one that seems to be taken in order to display the family’s wealth and E.D.’s status as an of a newly adult and marriageable woman).  Though my knowledge of E.D. and how she, in later years, would not even meet people face to face does in fact support the opinion that she would have avoided having photographs taken, it is important to remember that photography was such a new concept in this time, as opposed to the fact that we can take hundreds of photos of ourselves instantaneously at any given moment in 2019. Shannon Ott.

I decided to focus on race during the Victorian era for my final research paper. What I'm really interested in is their lives and the quality of life they had, maybe compare it to people of color in the United Sates and see if there are any major differences. I couldn't find anything specific about this particular image or who the man might be and I only assumed that this was taken in Victorian England because of the clothes he's wearing. Just by looking at his clothes, I made the assumption that he was of good means, his posture, and hair also give me the impression that he's educated. He seems like he's in a line of work where appearance matters. I'd like to also take a look at what immigration was like during the Victorian era and if there were any negative sentiments towards newcomers the same way we've been seeing today. Ruba Bouzan

I chose Scène de Marché au Port de l'Hôtel de Ville, Paris (Market Scene at the Port of the Hôtel de Ville, Paris) by Charles Nègre. It is a salted paper print from 1852. A year earlier, Nègre created a lens that allowed him to take pictures almost instantaneously, which made it possible to take this picture.

I chose this picture because I love to see old pictures of everyday life. We often only see posed pictures of the past due to the limitations of photography at the time. This gives a false image of the past and removes the “present” from the photo. Pictures capture the present, not the past, but this is often lost when looking at photos. I find it fascinating to see people from 150 years ago simply going about their day. It makes it easier to understand the past, as it humanizes the subjects within it.

This picture captures the daily life of a Parisian, or at least the Parisians who would visit the marketplace. In many ways, this is no different than something one could see today. The buildings in the background look like they could be from present day, and I’ve seen markets similar to this in person. The blurring reveals that the technology was not perfect, but the center of the photo is impressively clear.  Matt Pavao

I have always been fascinated by the supernatural. One of my favorite pastimes is exploring local folklore and legends. Just recently I made my yearly "pilgrimage" to Mercy Brown's gravesite (one of the original "vampires") in Exeter, RI. My interest isn't necessarily rooted in a genuine belief but rather in how or why these stories are so pervasive in our culture. While researching Victorian photography, specifically ectoplasms, I came across a person I had never heard of before, William Mumler, a supposed "spirit photographer." Mumler convinced his audience that he could "bring back the dead" through photography, a claim which first became a sensation and then later, apparently, a criminal court case for fraud. Whether or not his photographs were real depictions of ghosts or actually clever camera techniques, they are interesting to look at all the same! 

Below is an example, taken from Smithsonian Magazine (I have always been fascinated by the supernatural. One of my favorite pastimes is exploring local folklore and legends. Just recently I made my yearly "pilgrimage" to Mercy Brown's gravesite (one of the original "vampires") in Exeter, RI. My interest isn't necessarily rooted in a genuine belief but rather in how or why these stories are so pervasive in our culture. While researching Victorian photography, specifically ectoplasms, I came across a person I had never heard of before, William Mumler, a supposed "spirit photographer." Mumler convinced his audience that he could "bring back the dead" through photography, a claim which first became a sensation and then later, apparently, a criminal court case for fraud. Whether or not his photographs were real depictions of ghosts or actually clever camera techniques, they are interesting to look at all the same! 

Above is an example, taken from Smithsonian Magazine. Katherine Carroll

Frederick Douglass

Douglass was born into slavery in the year 1817. He later escaped in 1838 and headed North. He wrote multiple autobiographies and became an abolitionist in the Civil War. He really liked the idea of photography and hoped that it would become a way for African Americans to be seen after their deaths. Douglass personally sat for many portraits, one of which being the well known daguerreotype often seen on the cover of his autobiographies. 

This particular photo was taken in 1855, by some unknown operator. Douglass is posed like most other men in these photos, with the three quarter view from his torso up. He is wearing a suit and is dressed nicely. There is no sign of a smile on his face, which seems to be pretty typical of other daguerreotypes. One of the most interesting points about this photo is actually Douglass' hair. It seems to be smoothed down or combed over. I believe that this has something to do with the idea that he wanted to present himself as more "white" so that his voice would be heard. Like later African Americans with their hair conked, a similar idea is used here. Douglass wanted his voice to be heard and considered important, so he decided to pose for a picture in the most "white" fashion he could, to appeal to his audience. 

Because of the historical importance of Douglass, he was considered important enough to be placed in a keep-case and preserved throughout history. Thankfully, someone say the importance of keeping his daguerreotype safe.  Danielle Lund

Joseph Plateau, c. 1843

I've chosen this Daguerreotype of Joseph Plateau -- the inventor of the Phenakistoscope (1829) -- and a relentless experimenter with optical phenomena. On one occassion, wanting to pursue the one known as "persistence of vision" -- one essential to his illusions, as it would be with cinema later -- he stared at the sun for 25 seconds; this likely led to his eventual blindness. It's no surprise that he sat for a Daguerreotype, though this one wasn't discovered until a few years ago. He has a regal air about him, and seems to be looking directly at the viewer -- except that, assuming the date of 1843 is correct, he would have been completely blind at this point in his life.  Russell Potter