From The Epic Era of Hungarian Photography

Hungarian photography celebrated its 170th birthday in August 2010. 3 relics from the Research Collection of the Hungarian Museum for Science, Technology and Transport.

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On this festive occasion we present 3 relics originating from the epic era of Hungarian photography, all of them preserved in the Research Collection of the Hungarian Museum for Science, Technology and Transport

The invention of Jacques-Louis Daguerre and Nicéphor Niépce, namely the making of daguerreotypes became rather popular amongst the French bourgeoisie in a short time after the publication of the process in 1839. The technical details and the methods naturally had a long way to perfection, since the first photographers could not use the experience of their predecessors.
The greatest problem of early photography was the 20-minute-long exposition time, which originated from the small lighting power of the lens. The audience of photographic shows regarded this phenomenon quite acceptable and waited patiently till the presentation of a certain theme could be made out in the silver-plate copper. The invention was not welcomed by all, there were even some, who disapproved of photography. Caricatures were published during the 1840s in France, criticizing the technical disadvantages and problems yet to be solved.

What Do You See In The Picture?

The picture presents the master of photography, who, high above the rooftops, in a long coat, with his back against the chimney, is dozing off. In one of his pockets there is a watch, showing 3 p. m, in front of his leg there is his hat with a bottle of wine in it. Beside the man a crate can be seen with the inscription „Fragile” (it serves as the box of the camera). On the crate there is the robust camera itself, taking photos of the tops of the houses.
According to the lyrical text under the picture, while in the past nature was depicted by painters, the artists of today want to achieve the same goal with the help the box (the camera).

What Is Authentic

That part of the copper print which presents the amateur photographer on the roof can be regarded authentic from a technical point of view. The invention of Jacques-Louis Daguerre the news of which was published in January 7th, 1939, could be purchased from the19th of August the same year. The French bourgeoisie was overcome by the fever of photography. The camera, weighing about 45 kilos, supplemented with a small manual, cost 400 franks and became quite popular. Most of the „daguerromaniac” Parisians took their photographs from windows or rooftops and were infatuated by the outlines of houses, chimneys, roof tiles discernible in the pictures. The person in the photo is just another „daguerromaniac” amateur, who is searching for themes on and from the roofs of buildings.

A Little Exaggeration

The presenting of the dozing photographer, who couldn’t wait for his camera to complete its job was an exaggeration even in the time of Daguerre. It is a fact that the completion of the pictures of Nicéphore Niépce (Daguerre’s contemporary) took about 8 hours in the late 1820s, but this had been already in the past by 1839, when the time of exposition lasted about 20 minutes.

The First Hungarian

There is one such photography, taken in 20 minutes, in the Research Collection, which is the first daguerreotype in the possession of a Hungarian personality. Before the official presentation of his invention, Daguerre sent photographs to dignitaries in several countries, to promote his work outside France. He gave photos as presents to Ferdinand V, emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, to Chancellor Metternich and to count György Apponyi. The daguerrotypes, which presented buildings in Paris, were displayed in the hall of the Art Academy in Vienna. The daguerrotype sent to count Apponyi shows the instruments in the studio of the inventor. The picture is dedicated to ambassador Apponyi with great respect as the living proof of making photographic pictures. .

The First Description

Amongst the visitors who saw the dagureeotypes in the Academy there was a Piarist professor, Jakab Zimmermann, who understood the importance of the invention and started to translate the German version of the manual  into the Hungarian language. Naturally several technical expressions could not be translated and had to be described in other terms, but the German word Lichtbild (light picture) was easy to transform into Hungarian (fénykép) and Zimmermann used it quite naturally from the beginning. The booklet was published in 1840 in Vienna and a Daguerre-Giroux camera was brought to Hungary and introduced at the session of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in August 29th 1840. Today we celebrate this particular day as the Day of Hungarian Photography.