MORSE'S WINTER EXPERIMENTS
Morse's inability to match Draper's expertise with lenses could have explained some of the
frustration evident in his 16 November letter to Daguerre.[67] Francois
Gouraud's appearance in late November 1839 may have further discouraged Morse. Gouraud
acted in New York City as the agent of Alphonse Giroux & Cie., a French company producing
daguerreian manuals and apparatus personally endorsed by Daguerre. Exactly how and when
Gouraud arrived in New York has become something of a mystery, but he claimed to arrive on the
steamship British Queen.[68]
Gouraud set out to arouse public interest in Daguerre's process. He advertized viewings of
daguerreotypes made in Paris by Daguerre and others.[69] Gouraud's
impressive working knowledge of the process excited enthusiastic news coverage.[70] Gouraud evidently exhibited about thirty whole-plate pictures and took
several more himself in New York.[71]
In January 1840 Professor Morse took several lessons with Francois Gouraud. Superior French
products determined Morse to abandon his previous experimentation and attempt anew to master
the difficult process.[72] From 14 January for one month, Morse detailed
his lessons and additional personal experimentation. In addition to written descriptions, Morse
drew sketches locating the sun, camera, and photographic subject in a notebook journal.[73]
On 17 January Morse recorded that "Mr. Seager quarrelled with M. Gouraud."[74] The quarrel possibly arose when Gouraud refused to sell Seager French
daguerreotype plates.[75] The two men published accusatory articles in
the New York newspapers. Seager delineated the Frenchman as a swindler and imposter.
Gouraud assessed Seager as a buffoon.[76]
On 18 January
Morse wrote in his notebook, "Mr. Gouraud and Dr. Chilton came to be present at a lesson of Mr.
Gouraud." This entry does not appear to make much sense. Morse may have meant to write that
Dr. Draper and Dr. Chilton came to be present at a lesson of Mr. Gouraud. A little further in his
notes on the lesson Morse wrote and highlighted: "The chemical focus is
59/100 of an inch less than luminous focus, according to Professor
Draper's successful experiment Jan'y 18th."[77]
Draper was thus present at Gouraud's lesson on 18 January and imparted important information to
everyone. After 18 January when Morse described taking daguerreotypes in the journal, he
focused to the chemical rays. On 25 January he recorded that in one
result, "enough was indicated to show that the chemical focus was the
right one."
Morse also recorded in his journal that his 18 January lesson was the last he took from Gouraud.[78] Morse later claimed that he broke off the lessons when he found Gouraud
had nothing to teach him. It was rather to Daguerre through his published directions, and to
Professor Draper and Dr. Chilton that Morse declared he was indebted.[79]
After 25 January Morse waited till 7 February to renew work with the daguerreotype. He
experimented further on 11, 12, and 13 February, cleaning his plates for reuse as he proceeded. In
his notebook Morse inventoried his plates and detailed methods of cleaning.[80] Few sources so vividly document the difficulties inherent for most
practitioners struggling to master daguerreotypy during the first year.
Morse described attempts to photograph the Dutch Church, distant Brooklyn, still-life
arrangements, and City Hall.[81] There is no mention of portraits. Morse
was reconcentrating upon mastering basic daguerreotypy. He had possibly not attempted portraits
since viewing Draper's superior product in late September or early October 1839.
On 7 February Morse described arranging still life objects on the roof. At one point, "A little
wind agitates the drapery and prints after 5 minutes a gust of wind deranged all the prints. no
result."[82] Possibly a more successful such attempt produced the
still-life daguerreotype in the Draper collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Its artistic
arrangement combined what were possibly Professor Morse's sculpture and sketches with Dr.
Draper's scientific instruments.[83]
On 12 February Morse made a view of City Hall he described as "very fair in parts." He used a
plate first cleaned on 8 February, exposed in a failed experiment on 11 February, and
re-cleaned.[84] This may have been the same image that on 18 February
drew high praise in the press as a well defined daguerreotype of City Hall--the equal of
Daguerre's work.85]
On 21 February Gouraud responded in the New York Evening Star that he was pleased to
hear of Morse's success as one of "the numerous amateurs who have attended my private or public
instructions."[86] The label "amateur" incensed Morse. On 24 February
after crediting only Draper and Chilton, Morse declared, "all the instruction professed to be
imparted by M. Gouraud, I have felt it necessary to forget."[87]
These exchanges provoked the aptly named "Photogenic War" which has been thoroughly
described elsewhere.[88] At its height Gouraud moved to Boston. In the
spring or summer of 1840 he published a description of the daguerreotype process which included
a method of taking portraits.[89*]
As professional portrait painter Morse had always understood the potential inherent in the
daguerreotype if it could be utilized for portraiture. In February, if the sequence of events in most
photographic history books can be relied upon as accurate, news of Wolcott's successful process
galvanized Morse into renewing his interest in portraits. According to an 1846 account by John
Johnson, Morse viewed Wolcott's product and proposed an unaccepted partnership.[90] Morse presumably knew that Draper had accomplished comparable
portraits in the fall. He must have shown Wolcott's picture to Draper and encouraged him to adapt
his technical ability in portraiture toward commercialization.