Assessing the Impacts of Daguerreotype Technology on the Development of Photography

 Assessing the Impacts of Daguerreotype Technology on the Development of Photography
 
Chronology is the order in which technological advancement in the field of photography occurred. Daguerreotypes- An ancient technology of taking and producing photograph where an image is formed on a silver plate treated with iodine by applying mercury film on it; where the camera is focused on an object for varied amount of time. Development is the change in the methods and machines for photography production. Photography is the science and art of producing photographs. Equipment is the various devices use in the production of photographs over the period under study. Rationale for Sharing This research will add to the fairly under-researched field of daguerreotype as it relates to future advancement in photographic technologies. Although studies have shown the detailed history of photography, less attention has been given to how daguerreotype technology can influence the current and future developments in the field of technology. This systematic study, therefore, will affirm, question and clarify the existing knowledge while also bridging the knowledge gap existing in this field. Secondly, the findings of this research will not only potentially lead to the development of a new technology but also identify gaps for further research. This study will result into detailed report targeting scholars and product engineers/developers. The language used will, therefore, be simple as to be of use to both the groups of users. This way will raise points for improvements in the technology and also point to issues that can further be pursued for academic purposes. Finally, the study will provide recommendations on technological aspects of daguerreotype that can be developed and incorporated into the present photographic technologies. Do you need help with your assignment? We write original academic papers onany subject and topic CHECK PRICES Overview of Daguerreotype Technology During 1839 – 1880, the Daguerreotype photo process was invented by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, a French citizen and announced later the same year by Dominique-Francois-Argo of the French Academy of Science (Coe 1978, p. 66). This represented in the infancy of photography and every later technology was built on this prototype of the camera (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2004). It is important to note that the term daguerreotype refers to the process of that was used to produce the photograph; however, it is often used to refer to the camera as well. This era was vital in the technological advancement of the camera as it marked the first real photograph that resembles what there is modernly in terms of photography (Beaton & Buckland 1989, p.25). The previous pinhole cameras were too simple and would have a big gap when contrasted with modern photography. The closest ancient photography to the modern era photography is the daguerreotype. The daguerreotype camera has an optical lens and the picture was produced on a paper similar to the modern camera (Sandweiss, 2009). The daguerreotype paper was rigid, fragile, and glossy; it resembled the current film remotely and distantly. It is important to note that modern photography arose from the daguerreotype technology and to date the techniques that are used to process photographs in dark rooms are essentially similar to those employed in daguerreotype technology (Habbard 2005, p.46). When one compares and contrasts the current filming and photography technology components, they are able to see these similarities clearly (Leggat 1995, p.70). For example, in both the daguerreotype and modern photography, a photosensitive film material is used in taking the photographs (The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2004). This photosensitive material has, however, evolved through time to get thinner and flexible enough to allow for folding and portability which is a big improvement over the rigid and brittle material used during the earlier days. From this example, we could argue that photography has not changed at all rather simply advanced, if Daguerre were to visit the modern age, he would not find it strange to see a modern film camera operate, the components and basic elements and working have remained similar over time. As a matter of fact, camera technology has advanced relatively slowly over time (since Daguerre) until the period starting from 1920 onwards with the advent of the television. It is the media companies that strove to outdo each other and thus come up with better technology that spurred the enormous technological advances in the field of photography (Marcy 2012, 108). Museums and Archives The Royal Photographic Society Museum Based in Fenton house England, the museum has a collection of significant photographs in the history of photography. It also has almost all the samples of pieces of photography equipment useful for analysis in this study. The materials and information in this museum will serve as importan