Image: D.C. Collins & Company, Portrait of
Margaret Griscom McCord Smith, half-plate
daguerreotype, Philadelphia, ca. 1854.
The Library Company of Philadelphia, located at 1314 Locust Street, is one of my latest finds in Philadelphia. Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, it "is America's first successful lending library and oldest cultural institution." It is also free and open to the public - can't get much cozier than that!
I have walked by The Library Company many times, but their latest exhibition Catching A Shadow: Daguerreotypes in Philadelphia, 1839-1860 caught my attention and drew me in. It explores the art and science of pre-paper photography and Philadelphia's role "as a leading center for daguerreotyping."
As I've mentioned before, photography has long been a passion of mine, so it's no surprise that I was drawn to this exhibition. I've always been fascinated by the people in photos of bygone days. Who were they? What were there passions, dreams, loves, challenges? What were they thinking as they posed for possibly the only picture that would ever be taken of them in their lifetimes? Pretty hard to imagine these days. I also loved how much attention to detail was paid to the packaging of these images. The metal plate was set inside a case that was decorated like a book. Opposite the image was a velvet interior that was usually stamped with the daguerreotypist's label. They're really beautiful!
The exhibition runs through February 26th. Hours are M-F, 9:00AM-4:45PM. FREE.
For those not in the area, The Library Company's Web site has many online exhibitions as well.
Enjoy!
Know of a cozy place in Philly? Drop me a line - and some pics - at thehappyamateur@gmail.com.
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