[OBSCURA] Robert Cornelius, self-portrait
Feb. 11th, 2010 12:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rfmcdonaldOriginally taken here from the Wikimedia Commons, this self-portrait of American photographic pioneer Robert Cornelius is one of the first photographic portraits ever taken. This photo really resonates with me, and not only because young Cornelius was a handsome man.
First, some history.
This and other innovations, as the Daugerrian Society's reproduction of a 1840 article from Philadelphia's Godey's Lady's Book makes clear, certainly caught plenty of attention from his contemporaries.
Alas, despite operating two of the earliest photographic studios in the United States, Cornelius seems to have dropped out, perhaps, as Wikipedia suggests, because "as the popularity of photography grew and more photographers opened studios, Cornelius either lost interest or realized that he could make more money at the family gas and lighting company."
The understandable imperfections of this image--"Robert Cornelius, head-and-shoulders [self-]portrait, facing front, with arms crossed" as the Library fo Congress describes it, "an off center portrait of a man with crossed arms and tousled hair" as Wikipedia says--make it such a relevant one. In 1839, understandably imperfect images taken with new technology nonetheless managed to make it around the world, managed to preserve bits of the past from a certain obscurity. The same sort of thing is going on now in 2010, as people around the world take advantage of digital cameras and webcams and cell phone cameras to photograph themselves and preserve some precious moments in time and share the images with the rest of the world. The images may be equally imperfect--off centre, say, or with awkwardly-positioned subjects--but that just reinforces the true-to-life nature. I'm part of--you're probably part of--a global, transgenerational community founded by Cornelius, and that makes me for one quite pleased.
First, some history.
News of Daguerre's publication arrived in the United States in late August or early September, 1839, and several Philadelphians set out immediately to replicate Daguerre's process. [. . .] In October, a young manufacturer of lamps, Robert Cornelius, worked with Saxton to learn the basics of the daguerreian process and soon began to [.]
As ingenious as he was fearless, Cornelius brought with him a strong practical knowledge of metallurgy and chemistry. Although some scientists had felt that the exposure times needed to make successful photographs were too long for portraiture, in November or December, Cornelius proved them wrong by making himself the subject of what may have been his first successful photograph - a self-portrait taken outside of his place of business on 8th Street between Market and Chestnut (three blocks from the APS).
This and other innovations, as the Daugerrian Society's reproduction of a 1840 article from Philadelphia's Godey's Lady's Book makes clear, certainly caught plenty of attention from his contemporaries.
There is a young gentleman of this city, by the name of Robert Cornelius, one of the firm of the well known house of Cornelius, Son & Co., who has more genius than he yet supposes himself to possess. As a designer in the way of his profession, he has no equal; as a ventriloquist—but here we are getting into private life:—as a Daguerreotypist his specimens are the best that have yet been seen in this country, and we speak this with a full knowledge of the specimens shown here by Mr. Gouraud, purporting to be, and no doubt truly, by Daguerre himself. We have seen many specimens by young Cornelius, and we pronounce them unsurpassable—they must be seen to be appreciated. Catching a shadow is a thing no more to be laughed at. Mr. Cornelius, in one matter, has outstripped the great master of the art, a thing, by the way, peculiar to our countrymen; he has succeeded in etching his designs onto the plate, from which they cannot be removed by any effort. A few more experiments in this way, and we shall do without engravers—those very expensive gentlemen.
Alas, despite operating two of the earliest photographic studios in the United States, Cornelius seems to have dropped out, perhaps, as Wikipedia suggests, because "as the popularity of photography grew and more photographers opened studios, Cornelius either lost interest or realized that he could make more money at the family gas and lighting company."
The understandable imperfections of this image--"Robert Cornelius, head-and-shoulders [self-]portrait, facing front, with arms crossed" as the Library fo Congress describes it, "an off center portrait of a man with crossed arms and tousled hair" as Wikipedia says--make it such a relevant one. In 1839, understandably imperfect images taken with new technology nonetheless managed to make it around the world, managed to preserve bits of the past from a certain obscurity. The same sort of thing is going on now in 2010, as people around the world take advantage of digital cameras and webcams and cell phone cameras to photograph themselves and preserve some precious moments in time and share the images with the rest of the world. The images may be equally imperfect--off centre, say, or with awkwardly-positioned subjects--but that just reinforces the true-to-life nature. I'm part of--you're probably part of--a global, transgenerational community founded by Cornelius, and that makes me for one quite pleased.
