unlocking the secrets of color daguerreotypes - metal company name plates

Levi L.
Hill is not the most likely to trigger 150-
Annual debate in photography
A Baptist priest is in Catskill village, west kilt, New York. Y.
He started photography when chronic bronchitis forced him to leave the department.
In his second career, he became a tourist migrant worker.
Coated metal plate.
But in 1850, the incredible combination of ingenuity, ambition and kitchen chemistry pushed Hill to make a shocking announcement: he made the daguerreotype of the first color, and later
In those days, the news spread very slowly, but in short, Hill is said to have destroyed the booming market for daguireo-style portraits.
"It's like the arrival of color TV," Dusan C said . "
Stulik, senior scientist at the Getty Institute of Conservation.
You won't buy black. and-
After color TV, white TV.
When he came in and said "I have color", he began to focus on the lives of other photographers.
"But Hill had a problem and that's why he's not a household name. He couldn't -or wouldn't -
Come up with a set of instructions that other photographers can copy.
The controversy over Hill's actual development continues today.
But a research project launched by the Smithsonian National Museum of American history, with funding from the Getty Foundation and the expertise of Getty conservation scientists, has produced a lot of new information.
"The most important issue in our scientific investigation is very simple," said Stulik . ".
"Is he a liar or not?
We know he's two now.
He's a genius, but he's a flawed genius.
"The study, which will be presented today to a group in Kansas City called Daguerreian Society, determined that Hill did design a way to produce some natural colors in the photos.
Although the process has not been fully explained, scientists have found that Hill accumulates metal layers that react to different colors in the spectrum and produce a rainbow effect.
But he couldn't get the full spectrum.
He tries to make up for the failure with a secret supplement, which will eventually be his failure.
Hill kept his whole process secret.
At first, he refused to show his photos publicly, claiming that he had to refine his approach and file a patent.
As the requirements for his certificate of success became higher and higher, he showed his work examples to the leading daguerreo typist, who proved his authenticity in the public proof.
But there is growing suspicion of scams.
When he finally published a paper on helio chromium in 1856, it didn't help much.
"According to the research we have done, my personal feeling is that he is under pressure to publish the process," Stulik said . ".
"He doesn't have reliable things to offer all the colors, so he starts making smoke screens.
His description of the process is so complicated that if it doesn't work, he can say, "you didn't do 377 steps correctly.