156 Photography — Its History, Position, and Prospects. 



a greyish colour by the action of light ; and that if spread as 

 a thin coating over a metallic plate, and exposed to the light, 

 it was rendered soluble in essence of lavender, wherever the light 

 had acted. He advanced then step by step to important 

 results, Daguerre being, during the latter portion of his career, 

 the partner of his researches. But he did not himself reap the 

 reward of his labours, since he died in poverty in 1833, having 

 dissipated his patrimony in scientific investigations. When, 

 however, in 1839, the discoveries made conjointly by him 

 and Daguerre were purchased by the French Government, 

 and given to the world, his son was not forgotten. Louis- 

 Jaques-Maude Daguerre, a celebrated French artist, was born 

 at Corneilles, in 1789. His early life was passed in stormy 

 times, but this did not prevent him from devoting himself to 

 his profession and becoming very eminent as a scenic decora- 

 tor and a painter of dioramas. While attending a course of 

 chemistry under Charles, with the purpose of calling that 

 science to the aid of his pencil, he was struck by a remark 

 made by the lecturer, when he exhibited to his audience an 

 image produced by means of a salt of silver — " it is the sun that 

 has drawn this portrait." Again and again Daguerre repeated 

 these words to himself, but each time he was obliged to add, 

 ' ' it does not last." He was resolved, however, to give it 

 permanence ; and, in the researches he undertook for the 

 purpose, availed himself of the improvements which had lately 

 been made in the camera. He did not die until 1851, long 

 after his labours had been crowned with success. 



The attempt to arrest the action of light had occupied the 

 attention of Niepce from 1814 to 1824, with but little result. 

 Towards the close of this period, his brother, a colonel in the 

 French army, while making some purchases of Chevalier, the 

 eminent optician, happened to remark that Niepce had suc- 

 ceeded in fixing the image produced by the camera; but 

 Chevalier discrediting the assertion, paid no attention to it. 

 And when, some days after, Daguerre called upon Chevalier, 

 and announced a similar discovery, lie Looked upon it merely as 

 a continuation of the same pleasantry. But at length, finding 

 that Daguerre was in earnest, he gave him such information 

 regarding Niepce, as produced a correspondence between the 

 two experimentalists, that ended in their becoming partners ; 

 and before the close of 1827 considerable progress was made 



by them in the at tainnient. of an effective mode of fixation. 



Xiepce's object was, originally, the multiplication of images; 

 which lie : ought to accomplish by coating a- metallic plate with 

 bitumen, exposing it to the action of light, dissolving off the 

 C0a1 ing where the actinic influence had rendered it soluble, and 

 then corroding with nitric acid those parts which had thus 



