Concerning daguerreotypes Thursday, Sep 13 2012 

Historic Photos and Historical Events , , acairfearann 12:34

In today’s digital world, photographs of people are as ephemeral as the time of their taking.  Images are so common that the majority have little intrinsic meaning or value.  For Julie and Morris, images of the people they loved had a very different value.  They were rare, and given as tokens of affection and remembrance.  Ownership of the image was shared, the person might take it back if the relationship soured.  Because of the physical distance between Julie and Morris, images play an important role right from the beginning. 

In the course of their letters, they discuss miniatures painted on ivory and the daguerreotype, which had entered the stage in 1839.  It was still a very uncertain process, however, and rare.

In 1848, Morris writes: “Speaking of pictures puts me in mind of my daguerreotype. I have had four taken in my life time besides the two you have, and of those four, not one remains perfect. By some chance they have all come back to me and every one has been spoiled and discoloured by the air. I hope that those you have have not suffered a like fate. Yours is as when first taken. I wish that some more experienced artist would visit Rochester and make it his abode, that we might procure more perfect ones.”

I have not examined our collection of daguerreotype, but it is possible that those early ones still exist.  If ever there were miniatures on ivory, they have vanished, however.  I do find the Rochester reference an amusing foreshadowing.

 

On love letters Tuesday, Aug 28 2012 

Historical Events and Uncategorized acairfearann 13:42

In an interesting difference from today’s tendencies; it was only after Julie and Morris were engaged in April 1848 that strong passion becomes as much a part of their letters as literary discourses or recounting of activities and the letters are openly labelled as love letters.   They remain very conscious of the medium of letters and the possible misunderstandings inherent to letters; both ask the other to tell them if a letter seems overly emotional or overly reserved.

Almost immediately after they were engaged, Morris headed out on various travels: Cleveland, back to NYC, and then to New Orleans where he began to establish his business. Julie remained in Brockport, caring for her parents and teaching.  They had no clear idea as to how or where they would eventually live together, only that they would.  It would be nearly two more years before they would marry, in the meantime they would see each other only once.

Julie’s confidence in the future is beautifully expressed here in a letter from 1848:

“Another day rest with those before the flood. Its cares, labors, and pleasures are numbered with things that were, but not its hopes. They float on brightly into the future. They lightened yesterday’s burden, still pointed onward today, and are nearer fruition now that the sun hath set again. Tomorrow will bring them more clearly in view, if we have tomorrow. God keep those in His care tonight, dear Morris, “Sleep on, and dream of me!” did ever you hear that pretty song? When we meet again, we will sing it together. And that won’t be very long. When we have counted a few more sunsets, we will sit together, and happier than we were before.”

 

Travelling Tuesday, Aug 21 2012 

Historical Events , acairfearann 12:32

I commented to someone recently that the beauty of old letters is their ordinary nature: people were and are motivated by the same concerns, whether this century or the last; they may be foreign but they are not alien.  But once in a while a letter will illuminate how things have changed.  I just drove down from Montreal, about seven hours rolling time*, by myself in a comfortable car.  Not, in this present time and country, an unusual trip.

Here is a description from a letter by Morris of a section of a stage-coach trip in New Hampshire in 1846: “We started from Plymouth (heading to Franconia Notch) with a stage filled with an incredible number of passengers- that is incredible for the accommodations of a stage- Twenty-Two, only nine inside, thirteen outside.  It was very warm and the horses pulled their heavy load slowly. In the evening the clouds obscured all light from above and we on top the vehicle using all our efforts to prevent being thrown off, striking our heads against the boughs of the trees, and the tops of bridges, earnestly entreated the driver to stop for the night.  He drove up at a small seven by nine tavern situated somewhere in the outskirts of Grafton. It was not a fit place to stop in, but necessity obliged us as it was now after midnight. With difficulty we found cribs where we could stow ourselves till daylight, and we all tried to sleep till five o’clock in the morn, when there was no use in trying anymore, for our driver with a loud voice told us the stage would start in five minutes.”

 

*that is not counting the near 2 hours at customs or the hour stuck in construction here and there…

 

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