This group is dedicated to the past and present art of the daguerreotype. Please do not post photographs that are processed in Photoshop to look like daguerreotypes. Past Developed by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce and Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, the daguerreotype was presented to the public in 1839 as the first commercially viable photographic process. The daguerreotype quickly gained popularity and photographic studios were established across Europe and the United States. This popularity was relatively short lived however and by 1860 the daguerreotype process was replaced by safer, easier, and less expensive processes. Although brief in existence, the impact of the daguerreotype was immense. It is the process that formed the basis for the art of photography. Present The art of the daguerreotype was abandoned for nearly 100 years and only recently have photographers dared to attempt the process again. Most of the old methods were lost and only general descriptions of the process have survived. Much trial and error has gone into developing new methods to reproduce daguerreotypes with the same stunning quality as those created in the mid nineteenth century. Upcoming Events Resources Forum Contemporary Daguerreotypists

Almost four years ago I made an attempt to make an 1840’s cap. I was tolerably pleased with the result, but now I wanted to have another go at it. When I found some nice scraps (which from the burn test I think are cotton) amongst the fabrics I was given a while back, I knew at once that they would become different kinds of 19th century caps. Quickly and not very neatly trimmed with silk ribbons - it can be made much prettier. I have looked at many more pictures of 1840’s caps since 2010, so I had a somewhat clearer idea of what I should try to achieve. There are several examples on this Pinterest board. I used the same basic pattern as I used last time, and added lots of frills. Left untrimmed you see the basic shape better. All the pieces were hemmed with narrow hems, and then whip stitched together. The frills were gathered by pulling the thread of the rolled hems tight, if that made sense. They were then sewn to the cap with one stitch in every tiny gather. The frill stitched to the cap - inside. And outside. The frill over the top of the head at first looked too, well, frilly. It resembled the earlier styles of the 1820’s and 1830’s more than the more elegant ones of the 1840’s. I didn’t want to undo all the work I had done, so I was considering ways to solve the problem by working with what I had. I then recalled a cap in Nancy Bradfield’s Costume in Detail, where the lace edging a cap had been folded back and stitched down over the top of the head. I tried that, and it worked brilliantly. The small frill left was just enough to add visual interest without being too dominant. For the 1840’s the frills one should really notice are the ones by the jaw bones, even if there might be others. The ruffle over the forehead folded back and stitched down. In the hem at the nape of the neck, a drawstring made from thin cotton cords help with the fit. I was inspired by this painting when making my cap – it’s a lovely picture and a pretty cap, though you can’t see the sides. I’d also like to make that dress sometime. "A Peaceful Interlude" by Josephus Laurentius Dyckmans, 1849. Fashion plates like this one, as well as pictures of extant caps helped as well. World of Fashion, February 1843. For the pictures I used ribbons I had in my stash, but as they are only pinned on, they can easily be changed to match the dress. For anything more active than just taking pictures I'd probably tack on the ribbons though, not pin them. Quite a few extant caps still have the ribbons attached – I wonder if they were always meant to be permanent, or if they could sometimes be exchangable the way mine will be? I like how this kind of cap looks on me – I have slightly long face, and adding width to the sides like this makes that less obvious. The cap is very light, I can hardly feel it – I could wear it all the time without being bothered by it. The Challenge: #13 Under $10 Fabric: Cotton Pattern: My own. Year: 1840’s. Notions: Cotton thread, and cotton yarn for the cords. Silk ribbon. How historically accurate is it? Reasonably - I haven’t had the opportunity to study real caps in person, but the overall look is similar to the ones you see in period art, photos and extant caps. The materials are period enough (I'm a bit unsure about the dots in the fabric), and the sewing is done by hand with period stitches. Hours to complete: Lots and lots. As the fabric was so fine and unravelled easily I had to be very careful while hemming. As I could only sew a little here and there, counting hours was difficult. First worn: For the pictures. Total cost: None at this time as everything was in my stash.

Portrait of a lady, 1849. (Greek) Aristide Oeconomo National Gallery, Athens (Greece)

Almost six years ago I experimented with making an 1840s woman’s cap, and the result turned out quite well. I’ve since used the same pattern as a base for a more posh cap. This is a picture of when I'd first made it - look how young I was. A while ago I thought that I’d push that first one, which was very plain, up a notch, and started trimming it with narrow cotton lace, taken from a baby sheet and pillow case I picked up at the charity shop. I didn’t want it too fancy; think lower middle class wife and mother.Then, as so often happens, other things got in the way and it lay forgotten in the accessories box, but the other week I finally finished it. Actually it came about because I wanted to take sewing related baby announcement pictures, and needed a pretty project for it. Once I started attaching the lace, I thought I might just as well finish it :) Meanwhile, it took ages for people on Facebook to get the hint in the picture. EDIT: five days after publishing this post I miscarried :'( END OF EDIT I then starched the cap. Starch does wonders to many historical items of clothing, making them look (and sound - starched petticoats rustle in a special way) much more like their very often starched original counterparts. It takes a bit of time and effort, but is worth it if you want to add that extra little something to your impression. Also, starched items get a protective surface that will make it more difficult for dirt and grime to get hold. Of course, if it’s too wet or humid when you venture outside, the starch will lose its oomph quickly. Here's what my cap looked like before and after starching: all limp before, and holding up well after. This is how I did the starching: I used 300 millilitres of water and 1 teaspoon of potato starch. This produce a light starch that I rather like. If you want a stronger starch, add more potato starch. I put a little bit of the water aside, and brought the rest to the boil in a pot. I then poured the potato starch mixed with the water I’d saved into it, mixing hard to avoid the forming of jelly lumps. I let is boil for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time, and then set it aside to cool. I took the cap and pot of starch out into the garden, and dunked the cap in the slippery goo until it was saturated. I wringed it carefully and then smoothed it out as well as I could. I hung it on a line to dry in the wind. When it began to dry it a slightly stiff, papery feel to it, holding up quite well on its own. After it had dried I ironed it, and it looked beautiful. I look a bit tired though, having pregnancy related iron deficiency. While this is a totally lame entry, I treat it as a UFO and submit it just the same, as it will make me feel better – I’ve just managed one other challenge this year. The Challenge: # 7 Monochrome Fabric/Materials: Striped cotton (recycled from a worn out blouse) and cotton lace from an old set of baby sheets. Pattern: My own Year: 1840s Notions: Cotton thread How historically accurate is it? It looks all right, and the techniques I’ve used are documented, but I’ve never had the opportunity to look closer at an original, so… who knows? Hours to complete: Originally – no idea. Trimming it – an hour or two. First worn: For the pictures – I need a dress to go with it. Total cost: The blouse the fabric came from was an old one of mine that wasn’t fit to use any more, so I’ll count that as free. The baby sheet and pillowcase where the lace came from was picked up in a charity shop, so not much. They will likely be used for a 19th century infant’s dress eventually.

There are lots of conspiracy theories and myths in all areas of life, including fashion, hygiene, relationships, etc. It can be hard to tell what the reality was for earlier periods, but the 19th century is open to our eyes due to the invention of photography. On the photos below, you’ll see the fashion trends and typical appearance of the mid-19th-century men and women in Britain. We think that the most interesting thing about these photos are pretty and elegant female hairstyles. But it’s up to you what details of their appearance to notice and appreciate.

There are lots of conspiracy theories and myths in all areas of life, including fashion, hygiene, relationships, etc. It can be hard to tell what the reality was for earlier periods, but the 19th century is open to our eyes due to the invention of photography. On the photos below, you’ll see the fashion trends and typical appearance of the mid-19th-century men and women in Britain. We think that the most interesting thing about these photos are pretty and elegant female hairstyles. But it’s up to you what details of their appearance to notice and appreciate.

'Les Trois Ages'. Fashion plate showing a young and a middle-aged woman in evening dresses and an older woman in a day dress, the gowns by Mme Mouton with caps by Baronne et Cie. Published by Le Bon Ton, France, 1840

Evening cloak by M. Coucbonnal, cap by M. Pratt, and day dress by Mademoiselle Duguet. Les Modes Parisiennes, early 1840s

Anaïs Toudouze and J. Desjardins. Two day dresses and a little girl's dress for the Magasin des Demoiselles. French, 1849

There are lots of conspiracy theories and myths in all areas of life, including fashion, hygiene, relationships, etc. It can be hard to tell what the reality was for earlier periods, but the 19th century is open to our eyes due to the invention of photography. On the photos below, you’ll see the fashion trends and typical appearance of the mid-19th-century men and women in Britain. We think that the most interesting thing about these photos are pretty and elegant female hairstyles. But it’s up to you what details of their appearance to notice and appreciate.

Almost four years ago I made an attempt to make an 1840’s cap. I was tolerably pleased with the result, but now I wanted to have another go at it. When I found some nice scraps (which from the burn test I think are cotton) amongst the fabrics I was given a while back, I knew at once that they would become different kinds of 19th century caps. Quickly and not very neatly trimmed with silk ribbons - it can be made much prettier. I have looked at many more pictures of 1840’s caps since 2010, so I had a somewhat clearer idea of what I should try to achieve. There are several examples on this Pinterest board. I used the same basic pattern as I used last time, and added lots of frills. Left untrimmed you see the basic shape better. All the pieces were hemmed with narrow hems, and then whip stitched together. The frills were gathered by pulling the thread of the rolled hems tight, if that made sense. They were then sewn to the cap with one stitch in every tiny gather. The frill stitched to the cap - inside. And outside. The frill over the top of the head at first looked too, well, frilly. It resembled the earlier styles of the 1820’s and 1830’s more than the more elegant ones of the 1840’s. I didn’t want to undo all the work I had done, so I was considering ways to solve the problem by working with what I had. I then recalled a cap in Nancy Bradfield’s Costume in Detail, where the lace edging a cap had been folded back and stitched down over the top of the head. I tried that, and it worked brilliantly. The small frill left was just enough to add visual interest without being too dominant. For the 1840’s the frills one should really notice are the ones by the jaw bones, even if there might be others. The ruffle over the forehead folded back and stitched down. In the hem at the nape of the neck, a drawstring made from thin cotton cords help with the fit. I was inspired by this painting when making my cap – it’s a lovely picture and a pretty cap, though you can’t see the sides. I’d also like to make that dress sometime. "A Peaceful Interlude" by Josephus Laurentius Dyckmans, 1849. Fashion plates like this one, as well as pictures of extant caps helped as well. World of Fashion, February 1843. For the pictures I used ribbons I had in my stash, but as they are only pinned on, they can easily be changed to match the dress. For anything more active than just taking pictures I'd probably tack on the ribbons though, not pin them. Quite a few extant caps still have the ribbons attached – I wonder if they were always meant to be permanent, or if they could sometimes be exchangable the way mine will be? I like how this kind of cap looks on me – I have slightly long face, and adding width to the sides like this makes that less obvious. The cap is very light, I can hardly feel it – I could wear it all the time without being bothered by it. The Challenge: #13 Under $10 Fabric: Cotton Pattern: My own. Year: 1840’s. Notions: Cotton thread, and cotton yarn for the cords. Silk ribbon. How historically accurate is it? Reasonably - I haven’t had the opportunity to study real caps in person, but the overall look is similar to the ones you see in period art, photos and extant caps. The materials are period enough (I'm a bit unsure about the dots in the fabric), and the sewing is done by hand with period stitches. Hours to complete: Lots and lots. As the fabric was so fine and unravelled easily I had to be very careful while hemming. As I could only sew a little here and there, counting hours was difficult. First worn: For the pictures. Total cost: None at this time as everything was in my stash.