I finally saw some daguerrotypes. Some new, some old, all incredible.

Depending on the angle from which you look at the metal surface, the image inverses the values of light and dark. Straight on and from the side is a totally different image. When you move from the side to a frontal view, the best part of the daguerreotype happens. As you move. the switch from negative to positive light values makes the image appear three dimensional, in a quasi holographic way.

Boulevard du Temple, Paris, 1838, by Daguerre. The first photograph of a person

Also, the reflections off of the metal surface of the museum’s lights generate incredible projections onto the floor. Obviously these physical characteristics are very difficult to understand from images on the screen, so you should go try to see some. It is unfortunately not okay to photograph at the museum, so my plan is to eventually produce some somehow.

Dagguerreotype, Elizabeth Raymer Griffin

The potential to both allude to three dimensional space and impose into the space in which the photograph is contained sounds really interesting. Do I hear diptych multiexposure daguerreotypes? Is that even possible?