A fair May Day to all! Two items of daguerreian interest: The March/April issue of "Civilization / The Magazine of the Library of Congress" features the portfolio "Tools of the Trade" with text by William Howarth. The portfolio features twelve occupational daguerreotypes from the collection of The Library of Congress. The illustrations are large, in color, and are marvelous. If you act now, you may still find it in the news stands. Back issues will be available for $8.00 from: Civilization Library of Congress Associates P.O. Box 420235 Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. The Library of Congress has now mounted a superb website featuring the collection of daguerreotypes from their Prints and Photographs Division, "Daguerreotypes, 1842-1862." This is without question the most extensive collection of daguerreotypes available on the Web at this time. The site includes several featured galleries and also a very useful search tool. Be prepared to spend some time here! The URL is: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/daghtml/daghome.php My thanks to Carol Johnson of the Library of Congress for providing this great news. * * * * * * * * On this day (May 1) in the year 1846, the following news items appeared in the "Salem Gazette" (Vol. 65, No. 35): SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES. The London correspondent of the Boston Atlas, describing a scientific soiree, says: What seems to cause the greatest astonishment, is an impression of black lace upon a daguerreotype plate, by the light of the stars! M. Claudet, in referring to this phenomenon, observed, that he considered it as proof of the chemical power of star-light. He said that he had prepared a plate in the usual manner, covered it with a piece of black lace, and exposed it to the then brightest part of the sky, the constellation Ursa Major, nearly at the zenith. It was left to the influence of these, and the surrounding starts, for about fifteen minutes, which sufficed to impress the black lace upon the plate. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 05-01-96