| Show again Is raised the question of who made the first camera in the Us U S and took the first photographic portrait by ELMO SCOTT WATSON released by western newspaper union HO made the first WHO camera in america what pioneer photographer to first used a fast action picture taking machine to get a successful portrait of a human being according to a recent associated press dispatch from hampden sydney va honors belong to dr john wil liam Draper an englishman who was educated at the university of pennsylvania became a professor of chemistry at hampden sydney college more than a cantu century ry ago and achieved a wide reputation not only in chemistry but in physiology history and philosophy as well this dispatch said an old box shaped camera left at hampden sydney college in 1839 by dr john william draper is going to be taken from its cen tury old resting place to a niche in the smithsonian institution officials of which have accepted it as the first camera in america and the first if fast ast action camera in the world the present presentation atio n probably will take place at the june commencement to prove that it was the first eirv camera of modern type eight years of research was conducted by the rev howard C cobbs who was a professional photographer at charleston W va before he began his studies for the ministry the college asked mr cobbs to make a picture of the camera in 1932 for george W eastman president of the eastman kodak company the young student learned its history from dr J H C bagby professor of chemistry he tried it with modern film and it worked he learned that dr draper made his famous first portrait of a living person at new york university in 1839 or 1840 soon after leaving hampden sydney i mr cobbs became convinced that the camera here was older than the one used at N Y U and was the first modern type camera everything he unearthed indicated that he fie was right in his belief but he could get no ironclad iron clad proof mr cobbs took his data to the smithsonian officials congratulated him on his work then suggested that he study records there he found just what h he e needed and it was in dr drapers own words in a letter to the photographic and fine art i journal published in 1858 in an awer to an inquiry I 1 who made the first photographic portrait i dr draper explained that he had worked corked with kith sensitive plates I 1 before anything was published in europe by daguerre or talbot that he had tried a lens of large aperture and short focus to speed i up action enough to permit por 1 traits trails of living persons that he succeeded notably later with information formation jor mation about Dague more i sensitive plates it was while at hampden sydney that he carried on his ex peri ments he said even trying mirrors from a telescope before obtaining a lens the telescope is here and will be presented with the camera his connection with portraiture h he e said dated to the summer i before publication of Dague process Dague process was i published in august 1839 dr draper went to new york university in september 1839 and with Dague more sensitive plates and his methods succeeded j had he discovered the more sensitive plate virginia might have claimed the honor of the first portrait as well as the first camera despite the assertions in that news story however it is possible that some one may soon rise to challenge dr drapers right to the honor of having made the first camera jn in america and being the first to get a successful portrait heres why lost last year was celebrated the centennial of photography during which honors were paid to louis jacques mande the frenchman who is universally acclaimed as the father of photography on the eve of that celebration the macmillan company of new york published 11 photography and the american scene A social history 1 the result of more than six deais years of research by dr robert taft professor of chemistry at the university of kansas in the first two chapters of his book dr taft gives a well doc account of the work of the pioneer in this country who became interest t 4 e 7 1 7 x ie 4 F V V i e 47 Z DR DB JOHN W DRAPER from an made by mathew W brady about 1857 ed in the new art very soon after articles about Dague process had been reprinted from french and english journals in american newspapers as early as march 1839 one of these was D W seager an englishman who was living in new york in 1839 As a result of dr tafts investigations he makes the statement that seeger seager was the first person to make a successful daguerreotype in in the united states which he be did on september 27 1839 As for the claim that draper made the first successful portrait of a human being dr tafts conclusions clu also give that honor to another man alexander S wolcott of new york wolcott who was an instrument maker and manufacturer of dental supplies took a daguerreotype of his partner john johnson on october 7 1839 according to taft and this was the first photographic portrait drapers contributions although denying to draper the honor of being the first to make a successful photographic portrait dr taft sums up his important contributions to photography thus he was among the earliest to attempt photographic portraiture f Z the earliest photographic portrait which has survived it is a daguerreotype of bliss dorothy catherine draper made by her brother dr john W draper probably in the summer of 1840 these attempts were based on such scientific principles as were then known he sent abroad an early daguerreotype portrait apparently patently ly the earliest which has survived he published an extensive account of these experiments thereby enabling and encouraging others to benefit from his experience peri ence and he became associated socia ted with morse in the opening of an establishment for the purpose of taking portraits thus becoming one of the founders of a new profession dr tafts mention of the earliest daguerreotype portrait which has survived is is a reference ference re to drapers famous portrait of his sister miss dorothy catherine draper which is still in existence and which is owned by the rev sir john C W herschel He rEchel of england grandson of sir john F W herschel the distinguished english scientist to whom draper sent it in the summer of 1840 it was accompanied by a letter the full text of which is printed for the first time in tarts tafts book in this letter draper stated that 1 I believe J was the first person here who succeeded in obtaining portraits from life it will be noted that the letter is dated july 28 1840 and that no reference is made to the date on which the portrait was made comments dr tatt taft it will also be noted that the exposure of this early daguerreotype portrait was only 65 seconds previously published accounts concerning this daguerreotype have given exposures ranging from 10 to 20 min minutes which have evidently been based upon such general information as was available in seagers exposure table printed in the american repertory of arts sciences and manufacturers for march 1840 the first ever printed in this country judging ctorn these facts the date of the letter the relatively short exposure required and an examination of the portrait itself which shows rather great contrasts I 1 am of the opinion that it was taken outdoors during the summer of 1840 in september 1840 draper published an article in in the london edinburgh and dublin philosophical magazine in which he described in detail his method of making photographic portraits such as the one of his sister he stated that in in his earlier attempts he dusted the face of the person sitting for the portrait with white powder probably flour to secure greater contrast but that a few trials showed him that there was no advantage in this to get greater illumination on the subject he used mirrors to reflect the sun directly upon the sitter but m in the reflected sunshine the eye can not support the eff effulgence of the rays in order to support the head and keep it still during the long exposures required for these early pictures a staff terminating mina ting in an iron ring was attached to the sitters chair and so arranged as to have motion in m all directions to suit any stature and any altitude instrument of torture the modern patron of the photographers tog art may not recognize the instrument of torture described above writes dr taft but to those who had photographic portraits made in the long ago it will be remembered as the fan familiar liliar head rest which was part of every photographers equipment a device which was used as can be seen from the early in in caption of the art up to fairly modern times it must have been a very trying experience for miss dorothy catherine draper and it is doubt ful ad if many of the belles of 1840 would have been willing to endanger their complexions completions complex ions by having flour smeared over it or sitting exposed to strong sunlight for long minutes while trial pictures were being taken not to mention enduring the discomfort ot of that instrument of torture the iron head rest so she deserves great credit for her contribution to the development of the art ot of photography and even though it ii debatable if her brother can justly claim the honor of being tam tb first to make a photographic portrait there is little doubt that one distinction does rest with the draper family dorothy catherine draper was the first photographic model the ancestor of the glamour gals who smile so bewitchingly at us horn from the pages peg L of thousands of magazines and newspapers today |
