On this day (November 11) in the year 1847, the following text appeared in the "Farmer and Mechanic." (New-York) Vol. 1, No. 46. The article is illustrated with a wood-engraving of Avery's saloon. This article, along with original illustration, is found on The Daguerreian Society web site at: http://www.daguerre.org/resource/texts/avery_wagon.html - - - - - - - - - - Avery's Portable Daguerreotype Saloon. Mr. Austin Avery, of Norwich, Connecticut, has invented a new process for taking Daguerreotype miniatures, pictures, and landscapes, and which promises great success to the artist in the prosecution of this wonderful science. His invention consists in the erection of what he calls a "Portable Daguerreotype Saloon," which is easily conveyed on wheels from place to place through the country. Our correspondent "Alana," remarks:--"This saloon has all the necessary requisites for the due execution of the most perfect miniature. The great embarrassment that has hitherto attended the artist, in regard to throwing the light in a proper degree, and from a proper source upon the object, is wholly obviated, and these means are attained in a manner which render the miniature striking, and brilliant in the extreme. "But one of the chief advantages derived from this invention consists in its portability. This saves the practitioner the trouble and expense of fitting up new rooms whever he goes, which must necessarily be attended with much trouble and expense, for practitioners of this character are generally wandering artists. It is also peculiarly calculated to take with the public. It creates quite a sensation on entering a village; it published its character; the people flock to it out of curiosity at first. And finally, the great success that has attended its operations justly entitles it a place among the many improvements of the age. Mr. Avery is about to apply for "letters patent" for his improvement." (Additional text from page 548:) We have copied on our first page a daguerreotype drawing of a traveling Daguerreotype Saloon, got up by an enterprising Yankee in the vicinity of Norwich, Ct. It will be seen that this convenience for the practice of the Daguerrean art not only promises patronage to its proprietor from persons who might not feel interested in the subject, unless it were brought literally to their own doors, but it adds greatly to its facilities and adaptation, by enabling the operator to take transcripts of trees, buildings, landscapes and objects of curiousity which he may meet with in the way of his perigrinations; and being enabled to place his saloon in the most favorable positions better and more perfect pictures of natural scenery and objects will be readily obtained.--Should the proprietor push his adventures "all the way to New Hampshire," we hope he may send us a picture of the Monadnoc and the features of the old man of the mountains. -------------------------------------------------------------- 11-11-97