AIC-PMG Winter Meeting 2025

This study explores the impact of two major technological innovations from the late 1830s - electrotyping and photography - on the development of reproduction processes. Electrotyping, invented by German physicist Moritz Hermann von Jacobi in 1838 (1), revolutionized the production and reproduction of printing plates. One year later, in 1839, Louis Jacques Daguerre's pioneering photographic process, based on the photosensitivity of halides on silver-coated copper plates, marked the birth of photography (2). This research is significant as it explores how the relatively not so well known combination of electrotyping and photography contributed to the development of photomechanical and photochemical reproduction processes. Vienna, in particular, holds a special place in this narrative due to the pioneering efforts of Joseph Berres and other local photography enthusiasts in the early 1840s. Their work was instrumental in advancing these techniques, which enabled the production of prints from daguerreotypes. Despite its limited application at the time, this innovative approach marked a critical moment in the evolution of photographic reproduction.

This study is part of the Heritage Science project PHELETYPIA (3), which focuses on the surface morphology and elemental composition of historical daguerreotypes. Analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and micro-X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) scanning, were employed to study the ageing and corrosion features of daguerreotypes. These techniques also provided insights into how nanoparticles store image information. Moreover, the research included the production of new daguerreotypes under controlled conditions, allowing for a comparison of historical and contemporary samples. This comparative analysis aims to better interpret the aging and light-damaged characteristics of historical daguerreotypes.

Moreover, we conducted chemical and electrochemical etching experiments on the daguerreotypes we produced according to historical procedures. Two electrochemical techniques were used: the potentiostatic three-electrode method and the galvanostatic two-electrode method. These techniques allowed precise etching of daguerreotype plates, which we subsequently used for printing. The durability and mechanical properties of the etched plates, as well as the quality of the prints they produced, were thoroughly investigated.

The results demonstrate that the combination of electrotyping and photography laid the foundation for modern reproduction techniques, and that comparative studies of historical and contemporary daguerreotypes can provide valuable insights into early photographic processes. The research has contemporary relevance, offering valuable information for conservators and historians working with early photographic objects. This study should make it easier and more accurate to identify prints made from etched daguerreotypes or their electroformed copies.

Additionally, this study contributes to the ongoing development of conservation practices, helping to refine methods for identifying and preserving early photographic objects. By contextualising the historical importance of these innovations and providing new analytical data, this research enhances our knowledge of early photographic processes and their specifics. The collaboration between the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia and TU Wien, Austria further underscores the significance of this research, as it highlights the interdisciplinary effort to revive these historical processes, bridging expertise and resources across institutions.



References:

1. Jacobi MH von. Die Galvanoplastik : oder das Verfahren cohärentes Kupfer in Platten oder nach sonst gegebenen Formen, unmittelbar aus Kupferauflösungen, auf galvanischem Wege zu produciren ; nach dem auf Befehl des Gouvernements in russischer Sprache bekannt gemachten Originale. Petersburg [u.a.]: Eggers [u.a.]; 1840.

2. Daguerre LJM. Historique et Description des Procedes du Daguerreotype et du Diormama. Frères S, editor. Paris: Delloye Libraire; 1839. 79 p.

3. Ljubic Tobisch V, Artaker A, Kautek W. PHELETYPIA. Project PHELETYPIA “The impact of early photography and electrotyping media on the creation of images and contemporary art" (Heritage 2020-060 PHELETYPIA) by the Heritage Science Austria grant program of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. 2023.