Now here is some exciting news: the Wills family, relatives of Lt. Henry Le Vesconte of the Franklin Expedition, has identified a Daguerreotype of their lost relative previously unknown to Franklin Expedition researchers. The Daguerreotype remains in the hands of the family. They have kindly sent me a photo of it which is reproduced above.
This Daguerreotype appears to be either a similar or identical image to that of Le Vesconte held in Cambridge at the Scott Polar Research Institute. It appears therefore that either the pictures were taken immediately one after the other without the sitter altering his pose or, perhaps more likely, the 'photographer' Richard Beard had a Daguerreotype camera which could expose two plates at the same time. But the frame and case of this Daguerreotype is completely different and it obscures more of the original image than the Daguerreotype at Cambridge.
Let's now reassess where we know about the Franklin Expedition Daguerreotypes. We can now locate thirteen original Daguerreotypes from the Franklin Expedition: twelve in the SPRI collection and one in private hands. There are fourteen copies of Franklin Expedition Daguerreotypes in the Derbyshire County Archive at Matlock which appear to have been copied at an early date. Modern photographic copies of these 'Matlock' images are held by the National Maritime Museum. Most of the images at Matlock appear to be copies of the Daguerreotypes in Cambridge while others are copies of Daguerreotypes now lost. In no particular order then, here is the status of each one with a note about other portraits of each man:
Henry Le Vesconte, Lieutenant, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with a second identical Daguerreotype in his family's hands. There is a reversed copy of what appear to be the Cambridge image in the collection at Matlock.
Sir John Franklin, Captain, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with a reversed copy of what appear to be the Cambridge image in the collection at Matlock. There are quite a number of other portraits of Franklin in existence, including paintings and engravings.
Harry D.S. Goodsir, Assistant Surgeon, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with a reversed copy of what appear to be the Cambridge image in the collection at Matlock. A very early photograph of him also exists.
Charles Hamilton Osmer, Purser, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with a reversed copy of what appear to be the Cambridge image in the collection at Matlock.
Stephen Samuel Stanley, Surgeon, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with a reversed copy of what appear to be the Cambridge image in the collection at Matlock.
Henry Foster Collins, Second Master, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with an identical copy of the same image in the collection at Matlock.
Edward Couch, Mate, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with an identical copy of the same image in the collection at Matlock.
James Walter Fairholme, Lieutenant, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with an identical copy of the same image in the collection at Matlock.
Graham Gore, Lieutenant, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with an identical copy of the same image in the collection at Matlock.
James Reid, Ice Master, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with an identical copy of the same image in the collection at Matlock.
Charles Frederick Des Voeux, Mate, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with a copy of a different Daguerreotype in the collection at Matlock
James Fitzjames, Commander, HMS Erebus – there is a single Daguerreotype at Cambridge with a copy of a different Daguerreotype in the collection at Matlock. A beautiful chalk sketch of him is also held by the National Maritime Museum.
Francis Rawden Moira Crozier, Captain, HMS Terror – there is no surviving Daguerreotype but an early copy of one exists in the collection at Matlock
Robert Orme Sergeant, Mate, HMS Erebus – there is no surviving Daguerreotype but an early copy of one exists in the collection at Matlock.
It is clear that every officer on HMS Erebus was Daguerreotyped and in three cases - Fitzjames, Des Voeux and Le Vesconte – we now know that two Daguerreotypes were taken of each subject. I have heard it said that at one stage Graham Gore's family believed they held an original Daguerreotype but I have not been able to confirm this. If true that would a fourth confirmed 'double-Daguerreotype' and it would suggest that two were taken originally of every officer.
The two Daguerreotypes of Fitzjames and Des Voeux are clearly different images while the two of Le Vesconte seem to have been taken either simultaneously or immediately one after the other. The Le Vesconte images are also unique in that he is shown standing at the ship's wheel holding what appears to be the ship's log, whereas all the other officers were Daguerreotyped seated in what appears to be a curtained booth on the dock-side. Presumably the ship Le Vesconte was Daguerreotyped on board the Erebus and perhaps the Erebus was also the ship which can be seen in some of the reflections in the other Daguerreotypes, notably those of Gore and Fitzjames.
The only evidence that any Daguerreotypes were taken of Terror's officers is the single one of Crozier which survives as a copy at Matlock with the original now lost. It is possible that Crozier was the only officer on Terror to to be Daguerreotyped, although it may be that the accident of passing through Lady Franklin’s hands preserved the Erebus officers' Daguerreotypes. It is still possible that Daguerreotypes of some of Terror's officers may survive unrecognised in the hands of their families or of Daguerreotype dealers. A number of Terror's officers were social acquaintances of their counterparts on Erebus including Hodgson and Helpman so it would be a little surprising if they were not also Daguerreotyped.
William,
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely bit of detective work -- bravo! The new photo of Le Vesconte does indeed appear identical to the SPRI Daguerreotype. Have the family any tradition of when it was acquired?
Judging from outward appearance, though, it doesn't look like a Daguerreotype to me; if it's a very early copy (as it may well be) it's likely a calotype. The appearance and frame of this image strongly suggest that it is a paper print of some kind; were it a daguerreotype it would be on a silvered copper plate, and it would be very unusual to have an oval pasteboard frame such as this one. Interestingly, I note what look almost like rust stains along the bottom edge of the oval; it suggests that this may be a tintype copy of the daguerreotype, which would place it a little bit later than a calotype -- post-1853 in any case, and possibly as late as the 1870's or '80's. If early, it may be a Melainotype, an early trade name for a process patented in the US and licensed in the UK. It would be ideal if the photo could be looked at by an archivist with expertise in early photo technology; if it might be possible to open the frame (it does seem to have a sort of seam running vertically at the centre of the oval) you could tell more. Tintype copies of daguerreotypes were sometimes made of the dag still in its frame; the smaller field of view here suggests that's possible, in which case you could see the type of keep-case used.
But in any case, that family members would have such a photograph is clear evidence that, at the very least, copies were made for them from one of the very limited number of original dags -- and I share your feeling that, someday, we will find the "pair" daguerreotypes in someone's attic!
Several people as well as Russell have commented on my posting about the Wills family image of Lt. Henry Le Vesconte. The question is whether this is an original Daguerreotype taken of Le Vesconte in 1845 or an early copy of the one held at the Scott Polar Research Institure in Cambridge using some other technology..
ReplyDeleteThe image is definitely on metal and could not therefore be a calotype or an early photograph. Russell Potter (is there another word for him other than 'the indefatigable...'?) suggested that I contact Mark Easterman, the Process Historian on the Advanced Residency Program in Photograph Conservation at the International Museum of Photography at Rochester, NY, USA. I asked Mark how the Wills family might confirm the process which had been used to create their image. He replied:
'there are other images on metal, as in the ferrotype (aka tintype) but daguerreotypes are very easy to identify. The plate is a sheet of copper with a thinner layer of pure silver on the image bearing surface. Part of the preparation of a daguerretype is to polish the silver surface to a very high degree. The better the polish the blacker the shadows in the final image. The actual image is made of a frosty deposit forming the highlights of the picture. The shadows are established by the reflectance of the polished plate tilted towards the darkened end of a room. If the daguerreotype is held in hand and brought towards the face, you will see yourself in the shadows as you would with any polished mirror. Daguerreotypes, being pure silver, will tarnish. They often have a bluish tarnish forming from the outer edge of the plate inwards'.
I passed this very helpful information on to the Wills family and received the following reply:
'Dear William,
'The description of the Daguerreotype in your message below is an accurate one relative to the picture of Henry T.D. Le Vesconte we hold in our possession. My wife and I have studied it carefully and fully agree on the description. Here is what we found:
'The back of the daguerreotype is copper; when held in hand and brought towards the face, you will see yourself as in any polished mirror; our daguerreotype is tarnished; there is definitely a 'bluish' tarnish formed on part of the outer edges of the plate'.
...
This seems pretty conclusive: the second image, retained in the Le Vesconte / Wills family since it was taken in 1845, is an original Daguerrotype from the Franklin Expedition.
Superb work William! The lowermost button on the waistcoat, if I see it correctly, is shown on the subject's right hand side. That would suggest that the image is not reversed as a daguerreotype taken from life would be. So perhaps this object is a daguerreotype of a daguerreotype?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you've followed up on my original comment. However, I've shown this same image to several local people, including a dealer who sells dags as well as tintypes, collodions, and other early photos, who says he'd eat his hat if that's a dag, since while dags do tarnish they certainly do not rust. Unless that reddish-brownish something is some other substance -- a spill, or some discoloured glue -- or the color balance of the photo is way off. The Wills family should have this photo -- which is certainly very valuable, whataver type of process was used -- to a reputable dealer or appraiser.
ReplyDelete