Art
This daguerreotype—a one-of-a-kind photograph on polished silver—captures French artist Camille Dolard in his studio around 1843. For ordinary people and artists alike, daguerreotypes were the first affordable way to see yourself as you truly looked. This self-portrait shows both the new technology's magic and an artist's curiosity about his own face.
Art · Full story
You step into Dolard's studio and watch him position himself before the camera, palette and brush in hand. The silvered plate catches the light—harsh, unforgiving. For several long minutes he must sit perfectly still, barely breathing, while the lens drinks in every detail of his face, his clothes, the very air around him.
Reflect
When you see your own face in a photograph, what do you notice first—what you expected, or what surprises you?