Photography - Overview
The millions of photographs in the Museum's collections compose a vast mosaic of the nation's history. Photographs accompany most artifact collections. Thousands of images document engineering projects, for example, and more record the steel, petroleum, and railroad industries.
Some 150,000 images capture the history, art, and science of photography. Nineteenth-century photography, from its initial development by W. H. F. Talbot and Louis Daguerre, is especially well represented and includes cased images, paper photographs, and apparatus. Glass stereographs and news-service negatives by the Underwood & Underwood firm document life in America between the 1890s and the 1930s. The history of amateur photography and photojournalism are preserved here, along with the work of 20th-century masters such as Richard Avedon and Edward Weston. Thousands of cameras and other equipment represent the technical and business side of the field.
"Photography - Overview" showing 32 items.
Page 1 of 4
Hillotype of Westkill Village, New York
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York, including this image of buildings in the town. This unique collection is what remains as evidence of the "Hillotypes" produced and experiments conducted by Hill to produce daguerreotype plates with natural colors. No greater controversy has ever divided the history of photography. Approximately 60 related articles appeared in journals between 1851 and 1856, as the photography community awaited the details on how to produce a Hillotype.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.01
- accession number
- 125759
- catalog number
- 3999.1
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, print of four birds
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York. This is the world's largest collection of Heliochromy, a rare early color photographic process based on silver chloride.
- Hill’s color process was extremely complex, consisting of coating a daguerreotype plate with multiple layers of a compound of different metals that reacted to the different colors in the spectrum. The achievement of inventing a color photographic process in 1850 was even more remarkable since Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State.
- Yet Hill was indisputably an important figure in early history of American photography, an entrepreneur and enthusiastic innovator. He wrote the first, and one of the best, manuals on daguerreotypy, "A Treatise on Daguerreotype" in 1850; and in 1856 he wrote the first manual on color photography, "Treatise on Heliochromy", which includes a description of his experiments and an overview of all the means of chemically producing pictures in natural colors with light.
- Among important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this image of four birds with captions in German and English.
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.06
- catalog number
- 3999.6
- accession number
- 125759
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, three prints
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York. This is the world's largest collection of Heliochromy, a rare early color photographic process based on silver chloride.
- Hill’s color process was extremely complex, consisting of coating a daguerreotype plate with multiple layers of a compound of different metals that reacted to the different colors in the spectrum. The achievement of inventing a color photographic process in 1850 was even more remarkable since Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State.
- Yet Hill was indisputably an important figure in early history of American photography, an entrepreneur and an enthusiastic innovator. He wrote the first, and one of the best, manuals on daguerreotype,"A Treatise on Daguerreotype" in 1850; and in 1856 he wrote the first manual on color photography, "Treatise on Heliochromy", which includes a description of his experiments and an overview of all the means of chemically producing pictures in natural colors with light.
- Among the important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this Hillotype copying three print images: one of leaves, an angel, and a man wearing a top hat. Each of these prints were photographed many times by Reverend Hill during his experiments with color photography.
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.10
- catalog number
- 3999.10
- accession number
- 125759
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, print of birds
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York. This is the largest collection in the world of Heliochromy, a rare early color photographic process based on silver chloride.
- Hill’s color process was extremely complex, consisting of coating a daguerreotype plate with multiple layers of a compound of different metals that reacted to the different colors in the spectrum.
- The achievement of inventing a color photographic process in 1850 was even more remarkable considering that Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State. Yet Hill was indisputably an important figure in early history of American photography, an entrepreneur and an enthusiastic innovator. He wrote the first, and one of the best, manuals on daguerreotypy, "A Treatise on Daguerreotype" in 1850; and in 1856 he wrote the first manual on color photography, "Treatise on Heliochromy", which includes a description of his experiments and an overview of all the means of chemically producing pictures in natural colors with light.
- Among the important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this Hillotype of a illustration of four birds with the inscription “Ulm, Eisvogel.”
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.12
- catalog number
- 3999.12
- accession number
- 125759
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, prints of a man and leaves
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York. This is the largest collection in the world of Heliochromy, a rare early color photographic process based on silver chloride.
- Hill’s color process was extremely complex, consisting of coating a daguerreotype plate with multiple layers of a compound of different metals that reacted to the different colors in the spectrum. The achievement of inventing a color photographic process in 1850 was even more remarkable considering that Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State.
- Yet Hill was indisputably an important figure in early history of American photography, an entrepreneur and an enthusiastic innovator. He wrote the first, and one of the best, manuals on daguerreotypy, "A Treatise on Daguerreotype" in 1850; and in 1856 he wrote the first manual on color photography,"Treatise on Heliochromy", which includes a description of his experiments and an overview of all the means of chemically producing pictures in natural colors with light.
- Among the important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this one Hillotype copying two illustrations: a circle of flowers, and a man wearing a top hat. Both of these color prints are represented several times in the Smithsonian’s experimental images by Hill.
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.16
- catalog number
- 3999.16
- accession number
- 125759
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, photograph of Catskill house
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York, including this image of buildings in that town. This unique collection is what remains as evidence of the “Hillotype” and the experiments conducted by Hill to produce photographs with natural colors. No greater controversy has ever appeared in the history of photography. Approximately 60 related articles appear in journals between 1851 and 1856 while the photography community awaited the details on how to produce a Hillotype.
- Notable scientists and daguerreotypists such as Samuel F. B. Morse, Marcus A. Root, John A. Whipple, and Jeremiah Gurney wrote public testimonials to the importance of Hill’s work. But Hill refused to show his pictures immediately after his announcement of success in 1850, and would not disclose the process before it was patented. This caused impatience among other photographers.
- Hill was called an imposter. Articles in photography journals pointed to daguerreotype photographers losing much business while patrons refrained from sitting for their photographic portraits; they wanted to be photographed in color. Many photographers felt duped by Hill’s motives, his advertising, and requests for more time to perfect his color process. Hillotypes were continually dismissed or denounced as fraudulent even long after Hill’s death. However, x-ray and infrared studies of the Smithsonian’s unique collection of Hillotypes in 2007 prove that many of these images demonstrate true natural color photography.
- This camera view of a front porch and house was probably taken in West Kill, New York, where Hill lived and served as minister of the Baptist church.
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.17
- catalog number
- 3999.17
- accession number
- 125759
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, print of woman and man
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York. This is the largest collection in the world of Heliochromy, a rare early color photographic process based on silver chloride.
- Hill’s color process was extremely complex, consisting of coating a daguerreotype plate with multiple layers of a compound of different metals that reacted to the different colors in the spectrum. The achievement of inventing a color photographic process in 1850 was even more remarkable considering that Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State.
- Yet Hill was undisputably an important figure in the early history of American photography, an entrepreneur and an enthusiastic innovator. He wrote the first, and one of the best, manuals on daguerreotypy, "A Treatise on Daguerreotype" in 1850; and in 1856 he wrote the first manual on color photography, "Treatise on Heliochromy", which includes a description of his experiments and an overview of all the means of chemically producing pictures in natural colors with light.
- Among important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this Hillotype copying a print of a man and woman. Although Hill sometimes enhanced his reproductions of color prints with additional pigments and dyes, none appear on this plate.
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.21
- catalog number
- 3999.21
- accession number
- 125759
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, illustration of native man
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York. This is the largest collection in the world of Heliochromy, a rare early color photographic process based on silver chloride. Hill’s color process was extremely complex, consisting of coating a daguerreotype plate with multiple layers of a compound of different metals that reacted to the different colors in the spectrum.
- The achievement of inventing a color photographic process in 1850 was even more remarkable considering that Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State. Yet Hill was indisputably an important figure in early history of American photography, an entrepreneur and an enthusiastic innovator. He wrote the first, and one of the best, manuals on daguerreotypy, "A Treatise on Daguerreotype" in 1850; and in 1856 he wrote the first manual on color photography, "Treatise on Heliochromy", which includes a description of his experiments and an overview of all the means of chemically producing pictures in natural colors with light.
- Among important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this Hillotype copying a print of man wearing a turban-like headdress, and a wrap jacket.
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.22
- catalog number
- 3999.22
- accession number
- 125759
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, print of man with mustache
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York. This is the largest collection in the world of Heliochromy, a rare early color photographic process based on silver chloride. Hill’s color process was extremely complex, consisting of coating a daguerreotype plate with multiple layers of a compound of different metals that reacted to the different colors in the spectrum.
- The achievement of inventing a color photographic process in 1850 was even more remarkable considering that Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State. Yet Hill was undisputedly an important figure in early history of American photography, an entrepreneur and an enthusiastic innovator. He wrote the first, and one of the best, manuals on daguerreotypy, "A Treatise on Daguerreotype" in 1850; and in 1856 he wrote the first manual on color photography, "Treatise on Heliochromy", which includes a description of his experiments and an overview of all the means of chemically producing pictures in natural colors with light.
- Among important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this Hillotype copying a print of a man with a mustache, his left hand raised to his cheek.
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.23
- catalog number
- 3999.23
- accession number
- 125759
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hillotype, print of woman holding basket
- Description
- The Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History holds an extraordinary series of early color photographs: sixty-two color daguerreotype plates made by Rev. Levi L. Hill in the early 1850s in Westkill, Greene County, New York. This is the largest collection in the world of Heliochromy, a rare early color photographic process based on silver chloride.
- Hill’s color process was extremely complex, consisting of coating a daguerreotype plate with multiple layers of a compound of different metals that reacted to the different colors in the spectrum. The achievement of inventing a color photographic process in 1850 was even more remarkable considering that Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State. Yet, Hill was indisputedly an important figure in early history of American photography, an entrepreneur, and an enthusiastic innovator. He wrote the first, and one of the best, manuals on daguerreotypy, "A Treatise on Daguerreotype" in 1850; and in 1856 he wrote the first manual on color photography, "Treatise on Heliochromy", which includes a description of his experiments and an overview of all the means of chemically producing pictures in natural colors with light.
- Among the important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this Hillotype copying a print of a woman holding a basket. X-ray analysis of this Hillotype plate shows traces of bismuth pigment and Prussian blue organic dye in blue areas.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG*3999.24
- accession number
- 125759
- catalog number
- 3999.24
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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