Collections Search Results
Your search found 32 records from all Smithsonian Institution collections.
Page 1 of 2
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 pieces of importance by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of illustrations such as this image of the leaves of a plant.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.60
- accession number
- 125759
- catalog number
- 3999.60
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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.003999.10
- catalog number
- 3999.10
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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.003999.12
- catalog number
- 3999.12
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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.003999.16
- catalog number
- 3999.16
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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.003999.21
- catalog number
- 3999.21
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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.003999.22
- catalog number
- 3999.22
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 French soldiers near a cannon. X-ray analysis of this Hillotype confirmed the photography of true natural colors; no pigments or dyes were applied to this plate after production.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.49
- catalog number
- 3999.49
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 two birds. X-ray analysis of this Hillotype shows iron pigment hand-applied to the yellow areas of the bird on this plate after production.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.58
- catalog number
- 3999.58
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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.003999.17
- catalog number
- 3999.17
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 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 the important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this Hillotype copying two prints showing a woman and man wearing a top hat. Hill used the print of the man often throughout his experimental photography.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.34
- catalog number
- 3999.34
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 flowers, an image photographed several times during Hill’s experiments with color photography. X-ray analysis of this Hillotype shows traces of Prussian blue organic dye added to the plate.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.35
- catalog number
- 3999.35
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 considering that Hill was not trained as a scientist and lived in a very remote area of New York State.
- 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 the important works by Hill are many daguerreotype photographs of European color prints, and art reproductions such as this Hillotype copying a print depicting the famous "Last Supper". X-ray analysis of this Hillotype shows iron pigment in the orange area, and also Prussian blue organic dye.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.39
- catalog number
- 3999.39
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 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, or soldier, holding a gun. Hill reproduced this print in several of his Hillotype color experiments.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.40
- catalog number
- 3999.40
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1850-1860
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.06
- catalog number
- 3999.6
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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.003999.23
- catalog number
- 3999.23
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 headless soldier sitting on a golden cube in a studio room. X-ray analysis of this Hillotype plate shows traces of iron pigment in the yellow/gold area.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.27
- catalog number
- 3999.27
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 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 woman in a blue coat holding a dog. X-ray analysis of this Hillotype plate showed traces of bromine pigment in the area of the black shoe.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.31
- catalog number
- 3999.31
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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. Included is this image of buildings in that town. This unique collection is what remains as evidence of the “Hillotypes” produced and 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.
- Many regarded Hill as an imposter. Articles in photography journals pointed to daguerreotype photographers losing much business while patrons refrained from getting their photographic portraits made; 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 self-portrait of Rev. Levi L. Hill, daguerreotype photographer and Baptist minister, was reproduced in an 1851 issue of the "Daguerreian Journal" first announcing his success with the color Hillotype process.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.32
- catalog number
- 3999.32
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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 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 basket of fruit.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.33
- catalog number
- 3999.33
- accession number
- 125759
-
- Description (Brief)
- 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. Included is this image of buildings in that town. This unique collection is what remains as evidence of the “Hillotypes” produced and 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 appeared 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 deemed an imposter. Articles in photography journals pointed to daguerreotype photographers losing much business while patrons refrained from getting their photographic portraits made; 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 proved that many of these images demonstrate true natural color photography.
- This now-faint landscape photograph by Rev. Levi L. Hill probably protrayed a scene near or around his home in West Kill, deep within the Catskill Mountain region of New York State.
- date made
- ca 1850s-1860s
- maker
- Hill, Levi
- ID Number
- PG.003999.36
- catalog number
- 3999.36
- accession number
- 125759
Pages
Filter Your Results
Click to remove a filter:
