Gruppebilde av forfatteren Kristofer Jansons bestefar med familie.
In 1839, French artist and chemist Louis Jacques Mandé (1787-1851) invented the daguerreotype, the forerunner of modern photography. In the time that followed, there were several portrait photographs documenting people born over 200 years ago. Some as early as the 18th century!
--Annonse--
The exposure time was considerably longer than today’s cameras. It was not uncommon for the person being photographed to have to sit completely still for between 60 and 90 seconds. The slightest movement could result in a blurred image. As a result, group shots that include small children often show a blurred face, as 60-90 seconds without moving was often too challenging.
Below you will find a number of photographs taken with the daguerreotype method of the Norwegians of the time. The pictures were taken between 1845-1865.
Portrait of two women from the 1840s, one of whom is Inger Margrethe Fickenhagen Juul (mother of Charlotte Amalie Juul who married Andreas Munch). Photographer: Unknown
Group photo of three women and three men at Ladegården in Oslo. The photograph was taken in 1843. Photographer: Carl Ferdinand Steltzner
Portrait of recording secretary Jonas Tinus Collett (1814-1858). Photographer: Unknown
Portrait of Oluf Petersen, naval captain, later postmaster. The photograph was taken sometime between 1845 and 1850. Photographer: Unknown
Portrait of an unknown middle-aged man, seated with cane. Chain attached to his waistcoat. The photograph was taken sometime between 1850 and 1865.
Children were also immortalized in the earliest portrait photographs
Portrait photographs of children were probably not taken as frequently as portrait photographs of adults, but they do exist.
Photograph of an unknown girl. This may be one of the oldest surviving photographs of a child. The photograph was taken between 1845 and 1855 and, judging by the clothing, may be of a sick child. Photographer: Unknown
Two little girls dressed in dresses with their hair pulled back are sitting together on a chair. The photograph was taken sometime between 1850 and 1865.
News services were some of the first to adopt this new device, allowing coverage of the Crimean War and the American Civil War.
Photograph of survivors of a battle in the Crimean War. The photograph was taken by Roger Fenton in October 1854.Another press photo of soldiers, this time from the American Civil War ahead of a battle in May 1863. The photograph is also taken with the technique called daguerreotype.
