Again Is Raised the Question of Who
Made the First Camera in the U. S. and
Took the First Photographic Portrait
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
(Released by Western Newspaper Unlon.l
HO made the first
camera in America?
What pioneer pho
tographer first used a “fast
action” picture-taking ma
chine to get a successful por
trait of a human being?
According to a recent Asso
ciated Press dispatch from
Hampden Sydney, Va., hon
ors belong to Dr. John Wil
liam Draper, an Englishman
who was educated at the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, be
came a professor of chemis
try at Hampden Sydney col
lege more than a century ago
and achieved a wide reputa
tion not only in chemistry but
in physiology, history and
philosophy as well. This dis
patch said:
An old box-shaped camera left
at Hampden Sydney college in
1839 by Dr. John William Draper
is going to be taken from its cen
tury-old resting place to a niche
in the Smithsonian Institution,
officials of which have accepted
it as the first camera in America
and the first “fast action” camera
in the world. The presentation
probably will take place at the
June commencement.
To prove that it was the first
camera of modern type, eight
years of research was conducted
by the Rev. Howard C. Cobbs,
who was a professional photog
rapher at Charleston, W. Va., be
fore he began his studies for
the ministry.
The college asked Mr. Cobbs to
make a picture of the camera in
1932 for George W. Eastman,
president of the Eastman Kodak
company. The young student
learned its history from Dr. J. H.
C. Bagby, professor of chemistry.
He tried it with modern film and it
worked. He learned that Dr.
Draper made his famous “first
portrait” of a living person at
New York university in 1839 or
1840, soon after leaving Hampden
Sydney.
Mr. Cobbs became convinced
that the camera here was older
than the one used at N. Y. U.
and was the first modern-type
camera. Everything he un
earthed indicated that he was
right in his belief, but he could
get no “iron-clad” proof.
Mr. Cobbs took his data to the
Smithsonian. Officials congratu
lated him on his work, then sug
gested that he study records
there. He found just what he
needed, and it was in Dr.
Draper’s own words in a letter
to the Photographic and Fine Art
Journal, published in 1858, in an
swer to an inquiry “who made the
first photographic portrait?”
Dr. Draper explained that he
had worked with sensitive plates
before anything was published in
Europe by Daguerre or Talbot;
that he had tried a lens of large
aperture and short focus to speed
up action enough to permit por
traits of living persons; that he
succeeded notably later with in
formation about Daguerre’s more
sensitive plates.
It was while at Hampden Syd
ney that he carried on his ex
periments, he said, even trying
mirrors from a telescope before
obtaining a lens. The telescope
is here and will be presented with
the camera.
His connection with portraiture,
he said, dated to the summer
before publication of Daguerre’s
process. Daguerre’s process was
published in August, 1839. Dr.
Draper went to New York univer
sity in September, 1839, and with
Daguerre’s more sensitive plates
and his methods succeeded.
Had he discovered the more
sensitive plate, Virginia might
have claimed the honor of the
first portrait as well as the first
camera.
Despite the assertions in
that news story, however, it
is possible that some one may
soon rise to challenge Dr.
Draper’s right to the honor of
having made the first camera
in America and being the
first to get a successful por
trait. Here’s why:
Last year was celebrated the
“Centennial of Photography” dur
ing which honors were paid to
Louis Jacques Mande Dageuerre,
the Frenchman, who is univer
sally acclaimed as "The Father
of Photography.” On the eve of
that celebration the MacMillan
company of New York published
“Photography and the American
Scene—A Social History, 1839
1889,” the result of more than six
years of research by Dr. Robert
Taft, professor of chemistry at
the University of Kansas.
In the first two chapters of his
book, Dr. Taft gives a well-doc
umented account of the work of
the pioneer “daguerreotypists” in
this country jvho became interest
DR. JOHN W. DRAPER
(From an ambrotype made by Mathew W. Brady about 1857.)
ed in the new art very soon after
articles about Daguerre's proc
ess had been reprinted from
French and English journals in
American newspapers as early as
March, 1839. One of these was
D. W. Seager, an Englishman,
who was living in New York in
1839. As a result of Dr. Taft's
investigations, he makes the
statement that Seager “was the
first person to make a successful
daguerreotype in the United
States; which he did on Septem
ber 27, 1839.”
As for the claim that Draper
made the first successful portrait
of a human being, Dr. Taft’s con
clusions also give that honor to
another man. Alexander S. Wol
cott of New York. Wolcott, who
was an instrument maker and
manufacturer of dental supplies,
took a daguerreotype of his part
ner, John Johnson, on October 7,
1839, according to Taft, and this
was the “first photographic por
trait.”
Draper's Contributions.
Although denying to Draper the
honor of being the first to make
a successful photographic por
trait, Dr. Taft sums up his impor
tant contributions to photography
thus:
“He was among the earliest to
attempt photographic portraiture.
The earliest photographic por
trait which has survived. It is a
daguerreotype of Miss Dorothy
Catherine Draper, made by her
brother, Dr. John W. Draper,
probably in the summer of 1840.
These attempts were based on
such scientific principles as were
then known; he sent abroad an
early daguerreotype portrait, ap
parently the earliest which has
survived; he published an exten
sive account of these experiments,
thereby enabling and encourag
ing others to benefit from his ex
perience; and he became as
sociated with Morse in the open
ing of an establishment for the
purpose of taking portraits, thus
becoming one of the founders of
a new profession.”
Dr. Taft’s mention of “the earli
est daguerreotype portrait which
has survived” is a reference to
Draper’s famous portrait of his
sister, Miss Dorothy Catherine
Draper, which is still in existence
and which is owned by the Rev.
Sir John C. W. Herschel of Eng
land, grandson of Sir John F. W.
Herschel, the distinguished Eng
lish scientist to whom Draper
sent it in the summer of 1840. It
was accompanied by a letter, the
full text of which is printed for
the first time in Taft’s book. In
this letter Draper stated that
“I believe I was the first person
here who succeeded in obtaining
portraits from life.”
“It will be noted that the letter
is dated July 28, 1840, and that no
reference is made to the date on
which the portrait was made,”
comments Dr. Taft. “It will also
be noted that the exposure of this
early daguerreotype portrait was
only 65 seconds. Previously pub
lished accounts concerning this
daguerreotype have given expo
sures ranging from 10 to 20 min
utes, which have evidently been
based upon such general informa
tion as was available in Seager’s
exposure table (printed in the
American Repertory of Arts,
Sciences and Manufacturers for
March, 1840, the first ever printed
in this country).
“Judging from these facts, the
date of the letter, the relatively
short exposure required and an
examination of the portrait itself
which shows rather great con
trasts, I am of the opinion that it
was taken outdoors during the
summer of 1840.”
In September, 1840, Draper
published an article in the Lon
don, Edinburgh and Dublin Philo
sophical Magazine in which he
described in detail his method of
making photographic portraits,
such as the one of his sister. He
stated that in his earlier attempts
he dusted the face of the person
sitting for the portrait with white
powder (probably flour) to secure
greater contrast but that a few
trials showed him that there was
no advantage in this. To get
greater illumination on the sub
ject he used mirrors to reflect the
sun directly upon the sitter “but
in the reflected sunshine, the eye
can not support the effulgence of
the rays.” In order to support
the head and keep it still during
the long exposures required for
these early pictures, a staff ter
minating in an iron ring was at
tached to the sitter's chair and
so "arranged as to have motion
in all directions to suit any
stature and any altitude.”
Instrument of Torture.
“The modern patron of the pho
tographer’s art may not recog
nize the instrument of torture de
scribed above,” writes Dr. Taft,
“but to those who had photo
graphic portraits made ‘in the long
ago’ it will be remembered as the
familiar head rest which was part
of every photographer’s equip
ment, a device which was used,
as can be seen, from the early in
ception of the art up to fairly
modern times.”
It must have been a very try
ing experience for Miss Dorothy
Catherine Draper and it is doubt
ful if many of the belles of 1840
would have been willing to endan
ger their complexions by having
dour smeared over it or sitting
exposed to strong sunlight for
long minutes while trial pictures
were being taken, not to men
tion enduring the discomfort of
that “instrument of torture,” the
iron head rest. So she deserves
great credit for her contribution
to the development of the art of
photography and even though it is
debatable if her brother can just
ly claim the honor of being the
first to make a photographic por
trait, there is little doubt that one
distinction does rest with the
Draper family.
Dorothy Catherine Draper was
the first photographic “model”—
the ancestor of the “glamour
gals” who smile so bewitching
ly at us from the pages of thou
sands of magazines and newspa
pers today.
Operation for
Sinus Trouble
May Be Futile
By DR. JAMES W. BARTON
j (I pleased by Western Newspaper Union.I
A FEW years ago there
were many operations
for sinus trouble—the little
hollows or caverns adjoining
the nose. These
sinuses are
called the
sounding box of
the voice. Thus
when a head
TODAY’S
HEALTH
COLUMN
cold is present and these
little sinuses get filled with
mucus, the voice sounds flat
and “ing” sounds like “ick.”
When these head colds be
came very common and the
mucus and sometimes pus was too
thick to drain out, the enlarging of
the opening was frequently done by
nose surgeons to enable this mucus
and pus to drain out. The enlarged
opening also helped to “ventilate”
the sinus, thus keeping its lining of
mucous membrane in a more
healthy condition.
Unfortunately, these openings
from the sinus into the nose are not
placed in the best
position for drainage
when we are stand
ing or sitting, but as
Dr. Louis M. Pearl
man states in Hy
geia, the different
positions one natur
ally takes when ly
ing down are favor
able to the emptying
of the sinuses.
When one lies on
Dr. Barton the left side, the
right antrum (sinus
in cheek bone) is emptied; when
one lies on the right side the left
antrum is emptied, and when one
lies face downward the sinuses at
upper and back part of the nose
(level with the eyes) are emptied.
However, it has been found that
in many cases operation is of no
help and may leave the patient in
the same condition as before opera
tion and with some loss of smell.
Dr. Pearlman states further:
"The present trend of treatment
is tracing the trouble to its source
and getting rid of it before the con
dition becomes chronic. Stress is
laid on increasing the resistance of
the individual and performing only
slight operations to increase ventila
tion and drainage.”
Eating less meat and table salt
and eating more fruit and vege
tables seems to help a number of
these chronic sinus cases.
Fat Foods Important
In Diet and Weight
VIRTUALLY all reducing diets
emphasize the importance of cut
ting down on starch foods—bread,
potatoes, sugar and pastry—if satis
factory reduction is to be obtained.
Now starch foods give energy, help
to make the fat foods burn more
completely, and should be eaten in
certain amounts even by those who
are overweight.
What about fat in the daily diet?
For the overweights who wish to
lose weight, the tremendous food or
fuel value of fat should never be
forgotten; any quantity of fat food
has twice the food value of the same
quantity of either of the other main
classes of foods, that is, starches
and proteins (meat, eggs, fish, cere
als).
Fat Foods for Underweights.
For the same reason—fat foods
being rich in fuel value—under
weights are advised to eat fat foods
up to the point where the amount of
food does not cause indigestion and
spoil the appetite.
A table that should help over
weights to pick out foods they like
that are low in fats, and under
weights to select foods they like and
(which agree with them) that are
rich in fats, is given by Dr. R. G.
Sinclair, department of biochemis
try, Queens university, Kingston,
Canada, in a booklet, “Nutrition in
Everyday Practice,” issued by the
Canadian Medical association. There
are three divisions, (a) foods low
in fat <b) foods containing a me
dium amount of fat, (c) foods rich
in fat.
Foods low in fat: Less than 2 per
cent of fat: vegetables, most fruits,
cereals, bread, egg whites and but
termilk.
Foods with medium amount of
fat—2 to 10 Per cent—cream soups,
milk, veal, chicken, turkey, lean
beef, crab meat.
Foods rich in fats—about 10 per
cent—butter, and other fats and oils,
salmon, tuna, lamb, pork, duck,
goose, egg yolk.
• • •
QUESTION BOX
Q.—Can worms lower the vitality?
A.—Yes.
Q—Please suggest foods with
their individual vitamin content
which are essential to any good diet.
A.—If you use a daily diet con
taining one part meat, eggs or fish;
two parts fat foods—butter, cream,
egg yolks, fat meats, and four parts
starches—bread, potatoes, fruits and
green vegetables, yon will get the
necessary vitamins and minerals.
Apron Dress Is an Intriguing
Theme on the Fashion Program
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
TX/'HAT is import
* * antly new on
the style program?
The answer is the
dress with a detach
able apron front. Can you imagine
aprons putting on fashion airs?
Well, that’s just what is happening.
It’s not only your daytime frocks
that are being smartly aproned but
evening gowns are flaunting the
most gorgeous (either tie-on or sim
ulated) apron fronts wild flights of
fancy could possibly envision.
Watch and you will see dainty
black evening sheers glorified with
cunning apron attachments that are
embroidered and bespangled most
gorgeously. By the same token sim
ple little daytime frocks take on a
dress-up mien in that cunningly de
vised lace-frilled or quaintly beruf
fled apron fronts are made to tie on
or take oft in a jiffy.
And what a boon these fascinating
new apron dresses are to a limited
clothes allowance. You can see the
logic of the argument in an instant
—sans apron front attachment you
have a simple foundation gown that
will carry you through trim and
trig during the "don’t-dress-up”
hours of the day or evening. Comes
time to "doll-up” a bit for a lunch
eon or tea or the unexpected what
ever the occasion may be, and
here’s where the new apron attach
ment performs its magic. Tie it on
and you will be “all dressed up”
and some place to go. And if this
isn’t economy, thrift and good style
all in one what better could fash
ion offer, we would like to know,
than a two-some that can be faith
fully utilitarian one moment and
glamorously festive the next.
The attractive frocks pictured pre
sent the theme from both a day and
a night viewpoint. Consider them
as merely a forerunner of what "is
yet to be” in way of apron frocks
for now that the vogue for the apron
dress has been so successfull)
launched, designers are all astir de
veloping the wealth of possibilities
offered in this new and fascinating
fashion trend.
Describing the daytime frock
shown to the left in the illustration,
it is made of a red, white and black
polka dot silk print, which has an
interesting border design, as have
so many of the newer prints this
season. The “off-again-on-again”
apron front is accented with the
wide silk bordering. For moments
of lesser social importance whisk
the apron front off and you have a
gown simply and tastefully styled
for the more practical moments of
the day.
Mousseline in a new shade of lu
minous blue is posed over a taffeta
slip to create the enchanting bouf
fant evening gown pictured to the
right. The same flowered lace that
creates the youthful short-sleeved
bolero outlines the trick apron,
which may be removable or not as
you please.
Garden party dresses of organdy
and the new sheer seersucker and
prettily flowered dimities are taking
on these quaint little tie-on aprons
more or less beruffled with self-fab
ric or with lace and ribbon-run bead
ing in endless variety.
The apron idea invites all sorts
of decorative touches in way of em
broidery beadwork and applique.
Perfectly charming aprons have
hand-painted florals which gives the
amateur artist a chance to do some
very clever things. Another sugges
tion worth trying out is to applique
little ribbon bowknots at strategic
points. Insets of lace butterflies is
another thought rich with possibili
ties.
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
Go Military
Go military the American way by
pinning to the lapel of your smart
tailored suit a gadget, as here pic
tured, of a miniature cadet cap like
the real West Pointer. Marion
Weeber, American artist noted for
her cunning in handling ceramic
jewelry and plastics, designs this
cunning piece. It’s enameled and
studded with tiny rhinestones. As
a fitting touch to this most attrac
tive bit of artistry it is made jaunty
with a real feather tuft. Wear this
cunning ornament and you will
create a commotion in your set, for
it is really most unusual and distinc
tive and destined to enjoy a wide
spread vogue during the coming
months. Please to observe that her
I straw hat is a la cadet cap in its
I jaunty “lines.”
"
Evening Pinafore
Pinafores are a quaint old fashion
interpreted In lavish materials for
elaborate new evening gowns.
Comfortable Wedge
Shoe Now Popular
One reason for the popularity of
wedge shoes is that they present un
usual foot comfort. They give excel
lent support to the instep and ankle
and create a firm base for walking.
To lighten their somewhat heavy
appearance, many of the new ver
sions are trimmed with scroll cut
outs.
Some of the best liked styles are
made of elasticized serge or gabar
dine fabrics. They are usually com
bined with patent leather or kid.
Very light in weight, they cling to
the foot snugly and give it a well
fitted feeling that is very comfort
able.
Little Hats With
Turned-Up Brims
Little hats with their brims turned
up sharply on both sides to give a
tricorne effect are smart accompan
iments for the fitted coats and dress
maker suits of this season.
Effective in its simplicity is one
of white linen-weave straw banded
and tied on with a narrow black
ribbon. Another plain Homburg
type of white pique with a deeply
creased crown and rolled-up brim
is also banded in black ribbon.
Tailored Taffeta
Suits Are Popular
Have you seen the stunning new
daytime taffeta suits that have just
recently entered the style parade?
This matter of tailored silk suits
and coats is well worth looking up
for designers are turning out fasci
nating models not only in taffeta, but
in moire, faille and bengaline, both
in navy and black.
Slip-Covered Boards
Make Handy Screen
By RUTH WYETH SPEARS
f)0 YOU need a screen to keep
drafts from a child’s bed? Or
perhaps you would like to have a
good-looking one to cut off the view
from the dining room into the
kitchen or from a bedroom into a
bathroom? Well, here is an idea
for that screen. Buy four well
seasoned boards each 1 foot wide;
1 inch thick and as long as the
height you wish the screen to be;
also 9 hinges of the 1-inch butt
' USE 4 ftOARDS
Ieach I'xs'xr
SCREW
HINGES TO
COVERED
BOARDS
V
•\T BOARD
/ INSIDE OF
'cover; THEN
SEW END
/
CUT COVERS TO FIT BOARDS-STITCH INSIDE
[OUT CEAVINC ONE END OPEN.'THEN TURN
type used for cupboard doors.
Next, select a smart chintz to cov
er your boards. To estimate the
amount of chintz, multiply the
height of the screen by three and
then add y<i-yard. Now, just fol
low the directions in the sketch
and you will have your screen in
no time.
And, by the way, if you are in
terested in making a collection of
fabric toys, complete directions
for the Rag Baby on the floor are
in Sewing Book No. 2. The Sleepy
Time doll on the bed and the Ban
danna doll on the shelf are in
Book 4; the Stocking Cat is in
Book 3. You will also find full
directions for the crocheted rug in
Book No. 3. Directions for the
lamp shades are in Book No. 1.
Send 10 cents in coin for each book
desired. If you order four books
I will include patterns and direc
tions for three of my Favorite
Early American quilts, FREE.
The Kaleidoscope; the Whirl Wind
and the Ann Rutledge. Send or
der to:
MRS. RUTH WYETH SPEARS
Drawer 10
Bedford Hills New York
Enclose 10 cents for one book, or 40
cents for books 1, 2, 3 and 4 and set
of quilt block patterns.
Name .
Address .
Long Footpath
The Appalachian trail, the long
est marked footpath in the world,
begins on Mount Katahdin in cen
tral Maine and ends on Mount
Oglethorpe in northern Georgia, a
distance of 2,050 miles. It passes
through 14 states, two national
parks, six national forests and ap
proximately 20 state parks and
forests.—Collier’s.
INDIGESTION
may affect the Heart
Gas trapped in the stomach or pullet may act like a
hair-tripper on the heart. At the first sipn of distress
smart men and women depend on Bell-ana Tablets to
set pas free. No laxative but made of the fastest
actinp medicines known for acid indipestion. If the
FIRST DOSE doesn't provo Bell-ane better return
bottle to os and receive DOUBLE Money Back. 2fic.
Contented Spirit
To secure a contented spirit,
measure your desire by your for
tune and not your fortune by your
desires.—Jeremy Taylor.
WEARY DESPONDENT
Aim A, Crying spells, irritable
ulalLd ncrves due to functional
XAlilfcWl ‘‘monthly’’pain should find
a real "woman’s friend” in Lydia E. Pink
ham’s Vegetable Compound. Try ill
Lydia L Pinkham’s S
Rather Why Not
I had rather it should be asked
why I had not a statue, than why
I had one.—Cato.
FEEL GOOD
Her* is Amazing Relief of
Conditions Due to Sluggish Bowels
If you think all laxatives
act alike, just try this
_ all vegetable laxative.
mild, thorough, refreshing, invigorating. De
pendable relief from sick headaches, bilious spells*
tired feeliog when associated with constipation.
UfStliAiat Dirb 8et a 25c box of NR from your
■vlUIUlIl ItlSll druggist. Make the test—then
if not delighted, return the box to us. We will
refund the purchase
price. That's f»lr. jS iiBi.ut.lt.in
Get NR Tablets today. (8 k
WNU—U24—40
Golden Age
The age of gold was the age
when gold did not rule.—Lezay de
Marnezia.
WHEN kidneys function badly and|
you suffer a nagging backache,
with dizziness, burning, scanty or too
frequent urination and getting up at
night; when you feel tired, nervous,
alf upset... use Doan's Pills.
Doan's are especially for poorly
working kidneys. Millions of boxes
are used every year. They are recom
mended the country over. Ask your
neighbor!
