DAGUERRE, LOUIS JACQUES MANDE French painter and physicist, inventor of the daguerreotype, was born at Cormeilles, in the department of Seine-et-Oise, and died on July I2, 1851, at Petit-Brie-sur-Marne, near Paris. He was at first an inland revenue officer and then a scene-painter for the opera. In 1822, in conjunction with Bouton, he opened at Paris the Diorama, an exhibition of pictorial views, the effect of which was heightened by changes in the light thrown upon them. A similar establishment was opened by Daguerre in Regent's Park, London; it was destroyed by fire on March 3, 1839. This reverse was more than compensated by the success of his daguerreotype photo graphic process. J. Nicephore Niepce, who since 1814 had been seeking to obtain permanent pictures by the action of sunlight, learned in 1826 that Daguerre was similarly occupied. The two investigators worked together on their "heliographic pictures" from 1829 until the death of Niepce in 1833. Daguerre, continuing his experiments, discovered eventually the process connected with his name. On Jan. 9, 1839, at a meeting of the Academy of Sci ences, Arago emphasized the importance of the discovery; and Daguerre was appointed an officer of the Legion of Honour. A law of 1839 assigned to Daguerre and the heir of Niepce annuities of 6,000 and 4,00o francs respectively, on condition that their process should be communicated to the Academy. Daguerre's process, together with his system of transparent and opaque paint ing, was accordingly published by the government (see PHOTOG RAPHY).
Daguerre's works are Historique et description des procedes du daguerreotype et du diorama ; and Nouveau moyen do preparer la couche sensible des plaques destinees d recevoir les images photo graphiques •