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Le Daguerréo-Lithographie Marquier, L  (French, b.1830s active)

This is the first published example of lithograph made after a daguerreotype. It was made by L. Marquier and published in 1839 in the journal, Le lithographe journal des artistes et des imprimeurs seconde année. An alternate image was used in other copies of the same volume (implying that the production process limited the number of prints that could be produced).

At top: "Le Daguerreo-Lithographe." Below: "Calque sur epr. Daguerrienne. obtenue par Lerebours. L. Mar­quier, Lith. Lith. Desportes Inst. de Sourds-Muets.
N. M. P. Lerebours was a Parisian optical instrument maker, who, with his partner Marc-Antoine Gaudin, quickly took up daguerreotyping and the manufacture of daguerreotype equipment. He conceived and produced the publication of the series of views known as Excursions Daguerriennes.

The accompanying text translated:

Daguerreotype proof

Reproduced By Lithography

One of our subscribers has just lithographed a daguerrean proof that we hasten to offer to our knowledge that we have already executed, because of the difficulty of taking the tracing of these images. Put on the mirror that covers the print of the daguerreotype, the most transparent vegetal paper is absolutely opaque, and it is at most if we can distinguish the silhouette of the drawing. Applied directly on the metal plate, it is almost impossible not to destroy the design that the slightest rubbing makes disappear. It is only by an ingenious means that we are still unaware of that Mr. Marquier managed to render the color of the monument and especially the uniform tone of the daguerrean images, which never present these lively oppositions of light that the artists manage in their drawings. It will be easily understood that it was impossible for Mr. Marquier to render by the lithographic pencil, and on the surface of a grained stone, the infinite details which make the marvelousness of the invention of Mr. Daguerre. Metal engraving will no doubt be able to obtain much more of these details; but lithography will always be superior to this mode of reproduction, either by the promptness of its proceeds, or by the modesty of the price of its productions.

We congratulate Mr. Marquier for having planted the first milestone on this immense road which opens up for engraving and lithography.

And the original French:

Epruve du Daguerreotype

Reproduite Par la Lithographie

Un de nos abonnés vient de lithographer une épreuve daguerrienne que nous nous empressons d’offrir à notre connaissance qu’on et ait déjà exécuté, à cause de la diffculté de prendre le calque de ces images. Mis sur la glace qui recouvre l’épruve du daguerréotype, le papier vegetal le plus transparent ets absolumet opaque, et c’est tout au plus si l’on disingue la silhouette du dessin. Appliqué directment sur la plaque métallique, il est Presque impossible de ne pas détruire le dessin que le moindre frottenment fait disparaître. Ce n’es don que par un moyen ingénieux que nos Ignorons encore, que M. Marquier est parvenu à render la couleur du monument et surtout le ton uniforme des images daguerriennes, qui ne présentent jamais ces vives oppositions de lumière que les artistes ménagent dans leurs dessins. On comprendra facilement qu’il a été impossible á M. Marquier de render par le crayon lithographique, et sur la surface d’une pierre grenée, les details infinis qui font le merveilleux de l’invention de M. Daguerre. La gravure sur métaux pourra sans doute obtenir beaucoup plus de ces details; mais la lithographie sera toujours supeerieure à ce mode de reproduction, soit par la promptitude de ses proceeds, soit par la modicité du prix de ses productions.

Mous félictitons M. Marquier d’avoir plantee le premier jalor sur cette route immense qui s’ouvre pour la gravure et la lithographie.

Reproduced / Exhibited

Coke, Van D. The Painter and the Photograph: From Delacroix to Warhol. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1972. pl. 410

Buerger, Janet E. French Daguerreotypes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989. no. 254. (original)

Image: The Bulletin of the George Eastman House of Photography, v. 11, no. 6. 1962 (cover)

References

Newhall, Beaumont. The Bulletin of the George Eastman House of Photography, Voume 11, Number 6, 1962