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Southworth & Hawes 
Artists' Daguerreotype Rooms, No. 5 1/2 Tremont Row, Boston. Southworth & Hawes 
1851 
  
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Published in "The Boston Directory for the Year 1851", (Boston: George Adams, 1851).
 
ARTISTS' DAGUERREOTYPE ROOMS,
No. 5 1/2, Tremont Row, Boston.
Southworth & Hawes
 
This establishment offers to the admirers of perfect Daguerreotypes the highest inducements for patronage. From the earliest introduction of the Photographic art to America, the exertions of the partners of this Firm have been unequalled to perfect it in its application to every agreeable or useful purpose. We were the first in New England to apply it to likenesses from life; now more than eleven years since. One of the partners is a practical Artist, and as we never employ Operators, customers receive our personal attention. By constant industry and perseverance, we have so far distanced competition, that our services have commanded as much higher prices, as our ingenuity and taste have furnished better pictures. Since the use of Chlorine, and Bromine combined with Iodine, by Dr. Goddard, of Philadelphia, more than ten years ago, there has not been a process or an idea made known in this country or Europe, which would improve our productions. We have been the originators of every rarity of style which is exhibited in our rooms, and practiced the same, in many instances for years before any one else. We are able to show work made three years since, which cannot be procured elsewhere at all, whatever may be the price offered for it.
 
Our plates are the largest, most highly polished and have a most perfect surface; our pictures have a surpassing delicacy in their finish; there is no sameness in our positions and use of the light, it being adapted to the design of showing every face in its best view. As far as possible we imitate nature in her most beautiful forms, by a mellow blending of lights and shades, an artistic effect of drapery and figure, a pleasing air, forcible expression and startling animation; representing thought, action, and feeling or soul.
 
PARTICULARS INTERESTING TO THOSE WANTING DAGUERREOTYPES :
 
Likenesses From Life. Not only should the best outline of the face be selected, but also that of the head and neck, for the outlines of every feature of the likeness are effected by any change. The eyes, eye-brows, now, lips, mouth, chin, and every shade tn the face should also be most carefully observed, and the best point of view chosen.
 
Tne Eyes. The remark of visitors is very often made, "What perfect eyes your miniatures have; how clear and life like. Why I can see the very veins, and eye-lashes, and pupil, and iris; and how delicate that reflected light." We take all eyes, blue, light, gray, and black, perfect. We arrange the light mild and suitable to represent their perfections and preserve the expression in keeping with the attitude, lively and life like, and give them their proper direction.
 
Hands. The hands may be so disposed as to add beauty to a picture, and be In perfect proportion. Full-lengths, also may be very fine, if the artist has paid due attention to the drapery and its folds, to the feet, and to the outline and action of the figure.
 
Drapery, Dress And Garments. Dark colors should be chosen by Gentlemen, and woolen fabric, the plainer the better, with not too much white above the cravat, nor the vest much open. For ladies, if the ground colors are made up of red, green, orange, yellow, dark blue, indigo or purple, black or brown, the picture of the dress will usually be darker than the face; but white, light blue, or very light pink, purple, or violet, will be whiter than the face. Avoid large plaids and stripes, and any large figures In straight rows or set lines. Enquire, study and understand how colors take in Daguerreotypes, and then you can judge properly what shades to select. Lace work should be narrow and open usually. Avoid broad ribbons as much as possible. Simple ornaments may be worn, such as chains, bracelets, rings, plus, &c.
 
Vignettes or Heads Simply. This Is our own style we were the first to practice it, and in it are some of our very best pictures. Though we made many previously, It is more than three years since we adopted it. The strength and boldness of the effect can be equaled In no other way. No drapery attracts the eye from the face and its character.
 
Children's and Infants' Pictures, if they are quiet and pleasant, are beautifully taken. If uneasy and restless, a good likeness can be made, but much must be sacrificed to the light which permits us to make the impression instantly. We prefer to have them still one or two seconds.
 
Invalids can always receive attention at our rooms with due notice, or at their residences, and every effort will be made for success, and also for their comfort.
 
Likenesses of the Deceased. We often make them so easy and natural that even artists suppose them In a quiet sleep.
 
Groups. Fine grouping shows skill in the Artist, and though he may not be able to select his sitters, he may arrange them in a picturesque manner, and give a pleasing representation of life scenes. We often make family groups with infants, taking every likeness with absolute perfection.
 
Harmony, Expression And Air. Every part of a picture should be in keeping with every other part. If a reporter were taking down a speech made in the open air, he might with propriety wear his hat; and a lady on horseback would probably have her head covered, unless perchance the horse was running away with her. An artist representing a choir of singers might as well Introduce a scissors grinder as a lady reading the last novel. In daguerreotype great care should be taken to avoid incongruities, and make every minute particular in shade, figure, drapery and appendages, do its duty in preserving harmony and unity. We will do our best to overcome the defects of dame Nature, or at least not to magnify or exaggerate them; and try to hide the distortions of bad tailoring and mantua making, and ugly fashions.
 
Copying. We are perfectly at home in every department of Daguerreotype copying, without reversing. We can copy a daguerreotype head, from the size of a three cent piece to that of life, if desired.
 
Crayon Drawings, Mezzotints, and architects' drawings with Ink or pencil we imitate to a shade, and can often improve the strength and depth of a too faint effect, and frequently make daguerreotype copies stronger and better than their originals. Copies of engravings from worn plates are as strong as the proofs, and have all their value.
 
To engravers and those having work engraved, we can be of great service. We reduce pictures upon the engraver's copper or steel plate, at the same time furnishing an exact duplicate, and he cuts upon the lines made by the daguerreotype. In this way we copied Allston's Sketchings and Inman's portrait of Fitz Green Halleck, and Mr. Cheney engraved them. We refer those interested to Mr. Andrews, Mr. House, Mr Cheney, or the Bank Note Companies, for the accuracy of our work. No part of it is out of drawing we can copy a square of eight feet, upon a plate two feet square, absolutely perfect in every line and angle, so that no designer can detect or measure the slightest deviation from the original. Our large lenses were arranged after years of trial and experiment by ourselves, and there is no other arrangement like them in existence; nor is there another instrument which will copy parallel lines a foot long and six Inches apart, or copy a common portrait size, or Crayon without distortion, upon a common large plate. We hare tried to get up another set of lenses like ours, having had them ordered at our own price; but we cannot yet do It at all.
 
Statuary. Our picture of Powers' Greek Slave shows our ability In this department; for so perfect is it, that when we exhibited it magnified to the size of the original, artists and amateurs would often suppose it the identical marble, and exclaim in astonishment, "Where did you get Powers' Greek Slave." We shall soon show it in this way again. In the mean time it may be seen in our room upon a plate 13 1/2 by 16 1/2 Inches, having 100 more square inches than any plate shown out of our rooms.
 
Views, Landscapes, Buildings, Monuments, &c., and Interior Views. Our panorama of Boston proves the perfection of our instrument. The depth of focus is from the steeple of Park Street Church to the lower Light House and Nahant Hotel, and from the Beacon Reservoir to West Cambridge. The view of Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, taken at the opening of the last Fair, may also be seen at our rooms, covering one of our large plates. No such work in this line is shown or attempted. Perfect and elegant views of Mount Auburn furnished. We can make interior views of halls, stores, private dwellings, often bringing in likenesses of the occupants, or their families and friends. Bands of music, choirs, societies and gatherings, and military companies in uniform, can be well daguerreotyped. We have made several pictures of Surgeons with the patient under the influence of ether, all accurate likenesses.
 
Copies of portraits, paintings, and painted miniatures, in oil or water colors, upon canvass, metal, wood, Ivory, or paper. We can copy any of these that can be copied by daguerreotype, and often do well what cannot be done at all elsewhere. One of the partners being a practiced portrait painter in oil colors, can often color daguerreotypes to imitate not only outlines, but the color of the original portraits or miniatures. We can clean paintings so as to wonderfully improve them, as well as to prepare them for copying. It is a very great advantage to our customers in this line, that we have an artist in our rooms to take every possible advantage in copying paintings. Copies of miniatures upon ivory are often mistaken for the originals, So perfect is the imitation.
 
Painting or Coloring Daguerreotypes All persons without exception pronounce our coloring unequalled. Artists themselves say it is as true to nature as it can possibly be.
 
Daguerreotypes of Clouds, a Sunset scene, of the last great visible Eclipse of the Sun, and the Moon we made long ago. No other Artists have succeeded in copying an eclipse. The spots upon the sun are perfectly shown. Our pictures of Clouds an among the most beautiful of Daguerreotypes.
 
Apparatus, &c. We silver all our Plates every time we try them. We have the largest glass vessels ever made at Cambridge. Our silvering and coating boxes for plates are about two feet square. We received a silver medal at the Fair for our highly finished plates, the only award ever made for that article; and the best proof that we deserved it was that the visitors at the Fair mistook our specimen plate for a looking glass. We finish our plate* upon an apparatus of our own invention, for which we have a patent. And we use no other patent nor do we know of one that would not injure our work very materially. Since 1846 we have used a lighted Camera, and Instructed Mr. Mayall and Dr. Goddard of Philadelphia, and Mr. Gurney of New York Into its principles in November of that year, and have used It ever since, notwithstanding some Frenchman has just made it known as his discovery; and some learned savant is publishing a correspondence upon the subject with Sir David Brewster In the May No. of the London Art Journal of 1851.
 
In the convenience and variety of our apparatus, we were, three years ago, ahead of what any Daguerreotypist is at this lime, as we will hold ourselves ready to prove whenever called upon.
 
We apply Electro-Magnetism to all our plates, to prepare them and furnish our customers with fresh air by perpetual motion, give our orders by Magnetic Telegraph, and intend to Daguerreotype the lightning's streak the first possible opportunity.
 
The Permanency of Daguerreotypes. We coat all our pictures with a perfect leaf of pure California Gold, and so seldom is it that any of our Miniatures have ever shown any defect, that we warrant them all. We never knew any daguerreotype properly freed from the chemicals, and kept so. To change or fade; and will pay ten dollars for a specimen of Daguerreotype simply, that has faded since it was taken, if properly washed and secured.
 
To Our Friends And Patrons. We are proud to acknowledge the compliments and patronage of the host artists, amateurs, and judges of Art in Boston and vicinity. We thank them for their many encouraging and useful suggestions. Our past conduct and experience we offer to them, to the public, and to all, as a pledge that we will excel. Our customers shall have the best of work. We will deserve and claim by right the name of our establishment, "The Artist's Daguerreotype Rooms." As no cheap work is done, we shall spend no time in bantering about prices; and wish to have all understand that ours is a one price concern. Whenever our friends introduce individuals on whom the public have a claim on account of station or talent, and wish for their likenesses for the public, we will do our duty and bear our share In the expense.
 
We again respectfully invite all to examine our work at our exhibition room.
 
N. B. We never sell or dispose of likenesses without a written order from the one for whom they are taken; except those whose professions and standing before the public, make it right and proper for worthy and laudable purposes.
 
Something New. We have an apparatus for showing upon paper a perfect likeness the size of life from any Daguerreotype. The appearance excels by far any Crayon ever exhibited, and seems a reflection from life itself. It may often be pleasant for those having Daguerreotypes of their deceased friends, to see their very image as in life brought before them. Those who wish to test the correctness of our Miniatures can have this facility for doing so. Artists can, free of expense, avail themselves of the use of this Apparatus to trace outlines from our Daguerreotypes.
 
" Any description of Messrs. Southworth and Hawes' apparatus for magnifying Daguerreotypes and showing their images on paper, must fall far short of the reality. Such beauty, perfection and strength in a shadow is wonderful indeed." F. Alexander, A. Hoyt, D, C. Johnston, A. Morse, D. Kimberly, and many others. 
 
 
  
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