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“The New Art: Treasures from the William L. Schaeffer Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art” by Jeff Rosenheim
Drawn from William L. Schaeffer Collection of American photographs, this presentation will trace the first 70 years of the medium’s evolution from its birth through the first decade of the 20th century. Major works by acknowledged early masters such as Josiah Johnson Hawes, John Moran, Carleton Watkins, and Alice Austen will share the stage with equally impressive photographs made by more obscure or unknown practitioners. The talk will explore the nation’s shifting sense of self, driven by the immediate success of photography as a cultural, commercial, artistic, and psychological preoccupation. Especially noteworthy are the many photographs by small-scale studios, early practitioners, and intrepid amateurs that reveal their ingenuity, aesthetic ambition, and lasting achievement.
Jeff L. Rosenheim is the Joyce F. Menschel Curator in Charge of the Department of Photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a DS member.
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“A Daguerreian Excursion to Mexico City (Nov-Dec 2022)” by Grant and Ariadna Romer
In December of 2022, Grant and Ariadna Romer travelled to Mexico City intending to attempt recreating making of the first photographs of Mexico. They will give an account of the discovery and identification of seven whole-plate daguerreotypes in the collection of the George Eastman Museum, possibly made as early as December 1839. As a demonstration of the practical aspects of the initial process of Daguerre, they constructed a reproduction of the Giroux camera, researched the locations from which the daguerreotypes were made, and successfully captured the subjects as they appear today. In so doing they discovered much which clarifies the challenges of First Photography and the reasons for the choice of subject.
Grant B. Romer is recognized as a world authority on early photography, particularly the history, practice and conservation of the daguerreotype. A Scholar in Residence at George Eastman House, he is cofounder of the Academy of Archaic Imaging and a researcher, consultant, lecturer, and DS member.
Ariadna Romer is cofounder of the Academy of Archaic Imaging, a faculty member in the Educational Program for the Conservation of Photographic Heritage in Mexico and Uruguay, an Associated Member of the Appraisers Association of America, specialized in Rare and Fine Photographs appraisals, and a DS member.
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“Paris 1863 – The 1st Photo-Illustrated Dog Show Catalog” by Brian Duggan
In May 1863, two Parisian societies put on a scientific exhibition of dog breeds in the Zoological Gardens. Invitations were sent out all over France and an astonishing 850 were selected for the seven-day exhibition. Noted portrait and animal photographer Léon Crémière was contracted to produce a 60-page catalog of the top dogs. Each page was fixed with an albumen photograph of a prize winner – each being described with hand-written notes about type classification, breed, name, owner, and their award. Crémière was adept at capturing these dogs and his techniques foreshadowed those used by today’s dog show photographers. The catalog of the 1863 Parisian Dog Exhibition is arguably the first photographic inventory of 19th-century dog breeds.
Brian Patrick Duggan is a canine historian/image collector, the author of multiple books, and a DS member.
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“The Tumultuous Career of George S. Cook” by Bob Zeller
No 19th-century photographer had a more tumultuous or fascinating career than George S. Cook. From the early 1840s to the 1890s – from daguerreotypes to dry plate glass negatives – Cook experienced a lifetime behind the camera in Charleston, S.C., and Richmond, Va. unlike any of his fellow contemporaries. This talk will bring Cook’s career alive like never before from his photographs, which includes the world’s first combat action photo, as well as his daily account books from the Civil War, which document how Cook maintained a thriving business while under bombardment during the conflict.
Bob Zeller, a writer, historian, and DS member, is co-founder and president of The Center for Civil War Photography.
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“Rinhart Collection: ‘When This You See, Remember Me’” by Kate Shannon
Kate Shannon’s exploration of the Floyd and Marion Rinhart Collection at Ohio State University culminated in a public exhibition on campus last April. Titled “When This You See, Remember Me,” the exhibition featured cased daguerreotype, ambrotype, and tintype portraits from the collection, providing a glimpse into American life during the 19th century and the infancy of photography. While curating the exhibition, she was interested in the mysteries surrounding the mostly anonymous subjects and the physicality of the objects, marked by deterioration, erasures, and small personal effects added to the cases. These qualities prompted her to reflect on early photography as an enigmatic, tangible medium for preserving the human experience.
Kate Shannon is an associate professor of art at The Ohio State University Mansfield and a DS member.
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“Cars in Tintypes” by Robert Caldwell
The first glimpse many people got of the automobile was at tintype studios. By the 1880s, tintypes were produced at resorts, carnivals, galleries, fairs, and expos. People out for a family stroll along boardwalks, seashores, and other areas would walk into a gallery. They would leave with an inexpensive keepsake of the day, one that might include an automobile. Multiple automobile technologies raced to become the dominant propulsion system -- steam, electric, and gasoline -- and tintypes were there to record it.
Robert Caldwell is a collector, historian, and DS member.
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“Daguerreotypes and Portraits of ‘Kit’ Carson” by Neil David MacDonald
This talk will examine known portraiture of Christopher “Kit” Carson, famed American frontiersman, scout to Col. John C. Frémont, and U.S. Army officer. Images from the Civil War period back to the Daguerreian era will be discussed. In 1906, the San Francisco earthquake destroyed what was thought to be the only known daguerreotype of him. The talk will also describe the thrilling adventures and photo-detective work involved in the recent remarkable discovery of three relational half-plate daguerreotypes.
Neil David MacDonald is a fully accredited dealer and appraiser specializing in photography, rare books, and fine art. He serves as a consultant for Canada Book Auctions in Toronto and is a DS member.
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“The Future of Collecting – A Panel Discussion” with Malcolm Daniel, Mike Medhurst, Len Walle, Bob Zeller, and Ron Coddington
The collecting world has changed dramatically in recent decades. Digital transformation. Social media. Artificial intelligence. Generational shifts. Record-setting prices. How have these changes impacted collecting 19th-century photography? Will these images we hold dear remain relevant in the 21st century?
Malcolm Daniel is the Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator of Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and a DS member. Mike Medhurst is a collector, proprietor of Medhurst & Company, and past DS president. Len Walle is a charter DS member, past president, and longtime collector. Bob Zeller, a writer, historian, and DS member, is co-founder and president of The Center for Civil War Photography. Ron Coddington (moderator) is editor & publisher of Military Images magazine and a DS board member.
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Members can take advantage of the early-bird discount on tickets, which ends September 17. To register for the Oct. 17-19 Symposium & Photo Fair, click here.
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