How daguerreotypes were made :A Video on a Daguerreotypist Set, the Daguerreobase Project and the Museo FirST - Firenze Scienza e Tecnica

 

How daguerreotypes were made Unlike conventional photographs, daguerreotypes are metallic objects: copper plates coated with a thin layer of highly polished silver that can be viewed either as negatives or positives. The image consists of particles of a silver-mercury amalgam upon this reflective surface. Their submicron size ensures a very high optical resolution. The daguerreotype process directly creates a positive image, so these unique objects cannot be directly reproduced other than by photographing them.