Untitled [portrait of a young girl]

Invented by the Frenchman Louis-Jaques-Mandé Daguerre in 1839, daguerreotypes were one of the earliest photographic processes. A daguerreotype is a silver-coated copper plate that is developed by mercury vapors after exposure of several seconds to light in the camera. The somewhat stiff facial expression of the sitter may be due to the long exposure. Often sitters were supported by a special stand to keep their heads still and prevent a blurry image. Daguerreotypes are typically highly detailed with a reflective surface. Each one is unique because there is no negative as with film processes, and they were used almost exclusively for portraiture. To highlight their subject’s individual character and presence, Jeremiah Gurney and other daguerreotype photographers meticulously framed their photographs much like other intimate portrait forms of the day, such as painted miniatures, carved cameos, or silhouettes.