[Burning mills along the river at Oswego, New York]
Photograph
[Burning mills along the river at Oswego, New York]
July 5, 1853
Daguerreotype with applied color
Overall (1/6 plate): 2 1/4 × 2 11/16 in. (5.7 × 6.9 cm)
Purchase, 1961
1979.3107.0001
Inscriptions mat recto-(embossed stamp) "Barnard Oswego"
TextBefore he was a noted photographer of the Civil War, George Barnard established himself as a daguerreotypist with a studio and gallery in Oswego, New York. He made these two daguerreotypes during a devastating fire that broke out at the Fitzhugh Flour Mill and quickly spread to other mills along the river. Barnard, realizing the intensity of his images, made copies of them (by re-photographing the original daguerreotype to make a new daguerreotype) to sell to the public, adding color for dramatic effect. These images are often cited as some of the first examples of photojournalism.
Label text
History of Photography [Rotation 6]
June 2015
Label text
History of Photography [Rotation 6]
June 2015
