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Photographic Wonders:
American Daguerreotypes from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
On view through August 25, 2013
Unknown Maker (American), Tightrope Walker, about 1855, daguerreotype, half plate, image size: 5 ½ x 4 ½ inches. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of Hallmark Cards, Inc., 2005.37.15. © Nelson Gallery Foundation
By the middle of the 19th century, Cincinnati was the Queen City of the West. A transportation hub, the city was home to industry, art, and even a professional baseball team. Though there are numerous written accounts of life in the big city at this time, we are also fortunate to have images of this era because of the earliest “photographic” works, known as daguerreotypes. In 1839 the American public first encountered this exciting new invention. By 1843, daguerreotypists had set up shop in every major city in the United States. Visitors to the Taft will have the opportunity to view these remarkable works. This exhibition features about 90 daguerreotypes of exceptional quality and variety, with the high degree of resolution typical of these rare, one-of-a-kind photographs. Works by both famed and anonymous makers provide a window into mid-19th-century America: its occupations, trades, urban and rural scenery, and racial and ethnic diversity.
Listen to Installing Curator, Tamera Muente, talk with WVXU’s Mark Perzel about the exhibition
Local Exposures:
Cincinnati Daguerreotypes
On view through July 21, 2013
Unidentified artist, Edwin Forrest, 1848, half-plate daguerreotype. Cincinnati Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. James M. Landy in memory of James M. Landy, 1899.32
An early form of photography, daguerreotypes are exquisitely detailed, one-of-a-kind images created on a mirror-like silver surface. Dozens of daguerreotype studios made Cincinnati their home in the mid-19th century. This exhibition features a small selection of Cincinnati-related daguerreotypes from local and regional collections.
Among the earliest views of Cincinnati, street scenes offer a snapshot of the growing young city. Portraits of famous Americans whose likenesses were captured while passing through town suggest the prominence of Cincinnati on the national scene. Intimate family portraits reveal the popularity of the early technology among the middle class. And handbills, business cards, and advertisements spotlight Cincinnati’s burgeoning daguerreotype industry.
Listen to Installing Curator, Tamera Muente, discuss the show with Steve Hirschberg of WNKU
