Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes

532 Words3 Pages
An early Photographic firm in Boston was established between 1843-1863. The two partners who joined this firm are Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes. They were known as the first American photographers who are masters in the photography field. Their work has been shown in a major book and collection of early American photography. Worth and Hawes they are specialized in The daguerreotype process. Their images appeared to be brilliant like a mirror, and the art work is very detailed. The title of the image was Rollin Heber Neal (Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Boston). It was taken back in the 1850’s. It is a whole plate daguerreotype. This image’s size is 8 ½ x 6 ½. The daguerreotype is a direct- positive process. The effect that The daguerreotype had on the final outcome of the image was the constancy of high details and when the exposure of light happens on the cooper plate which The daguerreotypes is made from, it shines. This photograph is atypical of the time period in which it was created. It was because it was made on a cooper plate that cannot be copied and it was unique. Marcus A. Root paid them this praise: "Their style, indeed, is peculiar to themselves; presenting beautiful effects of light and shade, and giving depth and roundness together with a wonderful softness or mellowness. These traits have achieved for them a high reputation with all true artists and connoisseurs." It means that they were the best of their kind and reached the highest level of professionalism. They had a powerful message in their photos. In addition, it has an essence of simplicity, empathy. It provides the audience with “an initial entryway for cognitive and emotional understanding.” That is what Robert Hirsch wrote. The image created this idea of cognitive and emotional understanding in people’s heads. In my opinion that is what made the photo atypical

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