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1/31/08

Show & Tell Friday~

For this weeks show & tell I'm sharing some old Daguerretype photo's that I picked up from a second hand store. There was a bag of 5 for $20. I had always wanted some of these.... no reason in particular...lol...just wanted some. They are housed in little cases/boxes that are super cute all by themselves, then they open up to showcase an old photo inside a golden mat. There is velvet opposite the glass photo I imagine to help protect the glass from breaking. I had to use my scanner to get a close up of these. These are daguerretypes which means they reflect like a mirror so they are tricky to photograph....okokok, and I was lazy.They are not in "pristine" condition, all of them no longer are hinged together.... I like to believe that the people in those photos were so deeply loved that the boxes were opened so often that the little hinges broke that way :-)

Here is something I copied/pasted from the web about this type of photograpy if anyone is interested in reading it ~

Daguerreotype The dawn of popular photography arrived in 1839 with the daguerreotype image. Though an earlier process, the calotype, had been invented in 1835, it was the "dag," invented by Louis Daguerre in 1839, that excited the public and brought our ancestors to the new studios that opened primarily in the larger cities. The daguerreotype photographer was a true artist, and needed significant skills to create the one, non-reproduceable image. The daguerreotype produced a direct positive image by coating a copper plate with silver, polishing it, then exposing it to iodine vapors to make it light sensitive. The plate was placed went into the camera, was exposed, then heated over mercury. The result was a very sharp & detailed image. Wrinkles, lines, muscles, wounds are all keenly delineated. You will often get the feeling that the subject in a dag will step out of the image and come to life! Dags were delicate and easy to damage. Thus, the daguerreotype was the most expensive type of image to buy then as it is now. The daguerreotype is a startlingly realistic form of early photography. You can recognize a daguerreotype by the mirrored appearance to its surface.

This show & tell is hosted by Kelli

34 comments:

  1. What wonderful treasures. Thanks so much for sharing them.

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  2. Wow how cool that you got all of them for only $20.00. They are so interesting...

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  3. How neat! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Wow, those are really neat. I like to look at the pictures and try to imagine the lives of the people. I also liked what you said about believing that the people were so much in love that they wore the hinges out opening the pictures. (o:

    Blessings,
    ~Mrs.B

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  5. OMGOSH! $20.00 You lucky lady! I want to shop in the thrift shop you shop in!! that is totaly amazing.

    Down here in Australia we would probbly have to pay about $300.00aussie ech for them (I kid you not!!)

    To think they were toaken all those years ago and belong to loved ones who treasured them year after year.

    You lucky lady! (O! did I say that!!) lol lol lol!
    Lee-ann

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  6. Those are fabulous! I like the idea of them being opened up because someone wanted to look at their loved ones over and over again!

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  7. Wow, that was a good buy ! they look really lovely !

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  8. Wow that is gorgeous, what an interesting treasure.

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  9. Cool!!!!! I have some in an album of my ancestors [whom I know nothing about OR their names even] ----they all look like criminals LOL [even the women]

    I love how yours are frame! Did you make those frames or were they sold like that?

    Happy show n telling

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  10. Thanks for sharing, what a neat find.

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  11. Its interesting where did you bought that? Have a nice day!

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  12. Thank you so much for sharing, these are wonderful! I have a few of these of my great grandparents, but never know the process of how they were created. Great show and tell, and what a fantastic find!
    Sandra

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  13. How beautiful! I posted pictures today as well only they're not antique. I am always sad when I go to antique stores and I see old family photos in there for sale. It must be the softie in me as well as the soft place I have in my heart for photos!
    Thanks for sharing,
    Connie

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  14. Ohhhh how fabulous! I love, love, love them! I want one now!!! The hinged boxes are so beautiful and then to find the beautifully framed photo inside is just delightful! You got such a great deal!

    Hugs, Sharon

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  15. Thanks for sharing these vintage treasures!

    I enjoyed the idea of someone loving them so much that they wore out the hinges constantly opening them :-)

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  16. What a contrast to our digital photography process. Beautiful cases. Photos were probably rare and treasured. Thanks for the information also.
    Kathy b

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  17. They are lovely and I wonder if the have value...Is the Antiques Roadshow coming to a town near you soon? :)

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  18. What an interesting, wonderful treasure. I had never heard of these. Thanks for sharing the history of them for us. To your comment to me, no we have not checked ebay for the license plate. I have never used ebay. Maybe I will check!!! If I could find it and surprise him that would be so wonderful. Thanks!!
    Susan

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  19. What a nice beautiful treasures you got. Those are really nice I love it....Thanks for sharing....Mine Is Up Too:
    Scattered Thoughts Of Mine

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  20. What a great find and true treasures. I've always loved these and enjoyed learning about them. Have a nice weekend, Linda

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  21. Those are fabulous. Enjoyed your post - Jennifer

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  22. What a neat find! Why can I never find neat stuff like that? :)

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  23. So cool! I love them. Oh great... something new for me to treasure hunt for. haha Wow! I can't stop looking at yours. Thanks for sharing!
    -Karoline

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  24. Cool--I have one of those frames, but it is missing the picture--I put one in it of my mom and dad taken in the 1940;s---hmm, I wonder what pic was in it originally?

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  25. Very interesting info! I have always liked those, but seldom see them anymore - great bargain!

    Katherine

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  26. What a great deal you were given on those! Nice!!!! And thank you for posting the history on them too.

    Great stuff!

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  27. What wonderful treasures you found--I like the little story you told about them too :)

    Julieann

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  28. I see your button for your show and tell and I was wondering where you found out how to make it. I'd like to make a button that is a picture with a link attached but don't know how. If you know where I can go to learn could you please tell me? I am at: http://www.freebirdsings.blogspot.com/ . Thanks.

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  29. Okay, I'm keeping the doll house for you....come on over and we'll work on it together.....

    We have one of those daguerreotype of my husband's great great grandparents....in the frame the same as yours....I think it's a treasure...

    Thanks for the visit ......Betty

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  30. As a person very interested in
    family history and old photographs,
    this truly is an amazing find.
    For $20.00 too! I've never found
    anything like this in our stores.
    I've been looking for a long time. I swear the salespeople grab the good old stuff and put it all up on E-Bay. Lucky you!!!

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  31. i love that you gave a bit of history as well...thanks!

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  32. Way cool dagguerreotypes!!! As a photographer, I really appreciate when people appreciate photos. :D (www.pbase.com/ifistand).
    Thanks for checking out my heart fondue pot for S&T. :D Blessings!

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  33. These are lovely! What a terrific collection you've started!

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~Cheryl