Life expectancy for daguerreotypes
Daguerreotypes are a fragile medium and subject to deterioration. Not only is the process of making them difficult, but preserving them is equally challenging. There have been attempts to coat them with varnish such as wax and Indian rubber as well as water-soluble coatings all of which have been found to be unsatisfactory and even damaging to the image. As is apparent, the most common way to preserve the image is to encase it under glass yet even sunlight and environment hazards can still penetrate and do damage. For instance, it has been discovered that contaminants like chlorine cause degradation to daguerreotypes because of its interaction with silver. Also, like all things made of silver, daguerreotypes tarnish over time.
During Daguerre’s time a scientist named Hippolyte Fizeau in 1840 discovered that if a daguerreotype was treated with a solution of gold chloride and sodium thiosulfate and heated slightly the image became mechanically stronger and also had a more vigorous appearance. This process is so effective that it was adopted universally after it had been made public.
There are still daguerreotypes in existence since the 1840’s when the public first started producing them. Since each daguerreotype is a unique artifact, it is important to take all needed precautions to preserve them.
During Daguerre’s time a scientist named Hippolyte Fizeau in 1840 discovered that if a daguerreotype was treated with a solution of gold chloride and sodium thiosulfate and heated slightly the image became mechanically stronger and also had a more vigorous appearance. This process is so effective that it was adopted universally after it had been made public.
There are still daguerreotypes in existence since the 1840’s when the public first started producing them. Since each daguerreotype is a unique artifact, it is important to take all needed precautions to preserve them.
