Niépce correspondance et papiers

1120 C ORRESPONDANCE ET PAPIERS 605 Lettre Paris, 9 mars 1839. Samuel Morse au rédacteur de l’Observateur à New-York. THE OBSERVER. NEW-YORK, SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1839. [...] THE DAGUERROTIPE The following is an extract from a private lettre of Professor S.F.B. Morse to the edi- tor of the Observer 1 , dated, Paris, March 9th. «You have perhaps heard of the Daguerrotipe, so called from the discover, M. Daguerre. It is one of the most beautifil discoveries of the age. I don’t know if you recollect some expe- riments of mine in New Haven, many years ago, when I had my painting room next the Prof. Silliman’s, experiments to ascertain if it were possible to fix the image of the Camera Obscura. I was able to produce different degrees of shade on paper, dipped into a solution of nitrate of silver, by means of different degrees of light ; but finding that light produced dark, and dark light, I presumed the production of a true image to be impracticable and gave up the attempt. M. Daguerre has realized in the most exquisite manner this idea. «A few days ago I adressed a note to Mr. D. requesting, as a stranger, the favor to see his results, and inviting him in turn to see my Telegrah. I was politely invited to see them under these circumstances, for he had determined not to show them again, until the Chambers had passed definitely on a proposition for the Government to purchase the secret of the discovery, and make it public.The day before yesterday, the 7th, I called on M. Daguerre, at his rooms in the Diorama, to see these admirable results. «They are produced on a metallic surface, the principal pieces about 7 inches by 5, and they resemble aquatint engravings, for they are in simple chiaro oscuro, and not in colors. But the exquisite minuteness of the delineation cannot be conceived. No painting or engra- ving ever approached it. For example : In a view up the street, a distant sign would be per- ceived, and the eye could just discern that there were lines of letters upon it, but so minute as not to be read with the naked eye. By the assistance of a powerful lens, wich magnified 50 times, applied to the delineation, every letter was clearly distinctly legible, and so also were the minutest breaks ans lines in the walls of the buildings, and the pavements of the street. The effect of the lens upon the picture was in a great degree like that of the teles- cope in nature. «Objects moving are not impressed. The Boulevard, so constantly filled with a moving throng of pedestrians and carriages, was perfectly solitary, except an individual who was having his boots brushed. His feet were compelled, of course, to be stationary for some time, one being on the box of the boot-black, and the other on the ground. Consequently, his boots and legs are well defined, but he is without body or head because these were in motion. 1833 1839 1 De l’été 1833 jusqu’à l’automne 1839 1. Lequel n’était autre que le frère de Samuel Morse.Publiciste,Sidney-Edwards Morse (1794-1871) avait fondé le New-York Observer en 1823.