The Daguerreian Society

The Daguerreian Society The Daguerreian Society is an international nonprofit dedicated to the art, scholarship, and preservation of 19th-century photography.

Foote & Co. Quarter-plate daguerreotypeCollection of Greg FrenchIt is unclear what was manufactured by Foote & Co., but ...
10/10/2026

Foote & Co.
Quarter-plate daguerreotype
Collection of Greg French

It is unclear what was manufactured by Foote & Co., but there are some clues. The man in the lower left doorway appears to be holding a round shiny disc, which may be a saw blade. The man in the white shirt, third from the left, is holding a bit brace drill, and nearby are piles of planked wood under cover. These elements suggest that it was likely a wood shop. The factory features a large brick smokestack for the boiler that generates steam to power the saws and other tools. A small plume of white smoke is the excess steam being released.

Everyone, including the managers and owners, has stopped working to come outside and pose for the daguerreotype. The camera was positioned at an elevated angle, providing a clear view of the scene. The building fills the frame, offering only hints of its surroundings and location.

The Photo Fair has long been a part of our annual Daguerreian Society Symposiums. If you attended last year’s Photo Fair...
10/06/2026

The Photo Fair has long been a part of our annual Daguerreian Society Symposiums. If you attended last year’s Photo Fair in Hartford, you will remember these scenes of tables filled with 19th-century photography, images made by contemporary daguerreotypists—and satisfied collectors!

This year in D.C., there will be more of the same. We will have 50 tables of images for you to browse and buy for your collection.

Make your plans to attend!

Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Congressional A Banquet Room — Lobby

Early bird entrance for attendees: 9 a.m.
General admission: 10 a.m.–4 p.m., $10

Sarah Elizabeth Sixth-plate daguerreotypeCollection of Greg FrenchA more beautiful daguerreotype of a sailing ship is ha...
10/03/2026

Sarah Elizabeth
Sixth-plate daguerreotype
Collection of Greg French

A more beautiful daguerreotype of a sailing ship is hard to imagine. The slight backlight illuminates the sails, highlighting the daguerreotype’s ability to render delicate whites. The tilted composition, along with the way the boat and its reflection fill the frame, adds to the charm of the picture. This two-masted schooner, named “Sarah Elizabeth,” is thought to have been built in Gilford, Connecticut, in 1847 and later moved to Bar Harbor, Maine.

Call for Plumbe Daguerreotypes!Photograph conservators Adrienne Lundgren and Rachel Wetzel (Library of Congress) are con...
09/26/2026

Call for Plumbe Daguerreotypes!

Photograph conservators Adrienne Lundgren and Rachel Wetzel (Library of Congress) are conducting research on daguerreotypes produced in the studios of John Plumbe Jr. According to contemporary advertisements, Plumbe was associated with over 20 studios across the United States and Europe.

Daguerreotypes from his studios—both during his ownership and after the studios were sold—are typically identified only by his name. Very little work has been done to connect surviving daguerreotypes to their specific studios and makers.
Our research hopes to clarify these issues. This project will take a data-centered approach, requiring a large sample set representing the various studios and their evolution over time. We are therefore reaching out to the Daguerreian Society’s collecting community for assistance.

We will be setting up an examination booth at the 2026 Daguerreian Society Annual Meeting trade show. The trade show is on Saturday October 17th. We hope that owners of Plumbe daguerreotypes will consider allowing us to examine their plates. Items made before 1848 and those with identified sitters are preferred; however, if time permits, plates outside these parameters may also be included.
Examination will consist of a written checklist documenting plate and case attributes, as well as photographic documentation. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to examine the backs of plates; however, since removing a plate from its package carries risk, only the owner may remove it. We are not able to perform this step ourselves.

Image release forms will be provided. If you prefer that images of your plates not be used in lectures or presentations related to this study, we will of course respect those limitations. If images are released for use, we will credit you with ownership, if desired.

We hope that you will consider participating in this study. You can email us with any questions at: [email protected]. If you plan on bringing plates, please email and let us know so we can begin filling out the forms ahead of time. If you don’t, however, we would still like to see any examples you bring.

Factory Quarter-plate daguerreotypeCollection of Greg FrenchA tiny figure of a man can be seen in the doorway of this fa...
09/26/2026

Factory
Quarter-plate daguerreotype
Collection of Greg French

A tiny figure of a man can be seen in the doorway of this fabulous factory landscape. He is probably the owner who has hired the daguerreotypist to capture an image of his factory. However, the photographer has done much more than that; he has created an iconic representation of the 19th-century industrial revolution. The factory is perfectly situated in a river valley landscape.

The dark smoke from the coal-powered steam engine contrasts sharply with the billowing white steam that powers the factory. The white slats covering the windows are complemented by the white picket fence surrounding the property. America is still young and optimistic, and the factory appears to be in harmony with its surroundings.

DC 2026 Tour Signups Open September 12!Tour signups for the DC 2026 Symposium will open on Saturday, September 12, at no...
09/07/2026

DC 2026 Tour Signups Open September 12!

Tour signups for the DC 2026 Symposium will open on Saturday, September 12, at noon ET.

We have assembled a stellar lineup of seven tours, including the Brady gravesite at Congressional Cemetery, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Library of Congress, National Gallery of ART, and the National Museum of American History.

Those registered for the symposium will receive the required signup code by email on Wednesday, September 9.

Already registered? Great—watch for your code on Wednesday.

If you have not yet registered for DC 2026, now is a good time. Registering before Wednesday will ensure that you receive the code and can sign up when tours open. Space is limited, and we expect the tours to be popular.

Learn more about the tours and the rest of the symposium—including presentations, the auction, and the photo fair—at https://daguerreiansociety.org/Symposium2026

We look forward to seeing you in Washington!

Speaker Highlight: 2026 Daguerreian Society SymposiumThis year’s events, to be held in Washington, D.C., from October 15...
08/28/2026

Speaker Highlight: 2026 Daguerreian Society Symposium

This year’s events, to be held in Washington, D.C., from October 15–17, feature compelling speakers bringing fresh research, new discoveries, and unexpected perspectives to the images, people, processes, and stories that continue to shape our understanding of 19th-century photography.

Meet one of our speakers:

**Reflections: The Making of Modern Daguerreotypes in China**
By Jingxian Wu

Established in Nanjing in 2020, HLiiC is dedicated to the research and practice of 19th-century handmade photography. In just five years, it has grown from tentative experiments into an active image laboratory and gallery, rebuilding the craft of making daguerreotypes on solid silver plates in a country where the process left no living tradition.

Today, HLiiC makes daguerreotypes for artists, collectors, museums, and private clients, while its exhibitions, seminars, and courses introduce the process to new audiences. This presentation traces that journey, exploring how a daguerreian practice takes root without an established tradition, what Chinese clients and audiences seek from the plate, and what the daguerreotype is becoming in China.

**Jingxian Wu** is academic director of HLiiC (Hengli Image Centre) in Nanjing. Her research explores early 19th-century imaging technologies and the place of historical photographic processes in contemporary art and visual culture. Through curating, seminars, and writing, she works to bring early photography into contemporary Chinese discourse.

From historic discoveries to contemporary practice, the 2026 Symposium celebrates the extraordinary breadth and continuing vitality of early photography.

2026 Daguerreian Society Symposium
Washington, D.C.
October 15–17, 2026

Learn more about the presenters and presentations, explore the rest of the program, register, and reserve your hotel room:
https://daguerreiansociety.org/Symposium2026

Speaker Highlight: 2026 Daguerreian Society SymposiumThis year’s events, to be held in Washington, D.C., from October 15...
08/27/2026

Speaker Highlight: 2026 Daguerreian Society Symposium

This year’s events, to be held in Washington, D.C., from October 15–17, feature compelling speakers bringing fresh research, new discoveries, and unexpected perspectives to the images, people, processes, and stories that continue to shape our understanding of 19th-century photography.

Meet one of our speakers:

**A Closer Look at Plate Stock: Steps to Solidify a Timeline of Early American Daguerreotypy Through Examination of the Earliest Practitioner’s Working Methods, Materiality Choices, and the Availability of Proper Daguerreotype Plates**
By Rachel Wetzel

How were America’s earliest daguerreotypes made when French plate stock was unavailable? A collaborative study by the Library of Congress and Smithsonian Institution analyzed about 50 daguerreotypes made between 1839 and 1843 to find answers.

Scientific analysis of plate composition, metal layers, inclusions, and hallmarks reveals details about the materials and working methods of Robert Cornelius, John William Draper, Henry Fitz Jr., Samuel Morse, and other pioneers. The findings offer new insights into early American plate manufacturing and the formative years of American photography.

**Rachel Wetzel** is a Senior Photograph Conservator at the Library of Congress specializing in early American photography. For the past decade, she has led collaborative studies of Robert Cornelius, Henry Fitz Jr., and other early daguerreotypists. Her work encompasses technical art history, conservation, preservation, connoisseurship, and digital humanities.

From historic discoveries to contemporary practice, the 2026 Symposium celebrates the extraordinary breadth and continuing vitality of early photography.

2026 Daguerreian Society Symposium
Washington, D.C.
October 15–17, 2026

Learn more about the presenters and presentations, explore the rest of the program, register, and reserve your hotel room:
https://daguerreiansociety.org/Symposium2026

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