Daguerreotyping the Magical Fountain

As we all tire of the cold dreary days of winter many in the southeastern Pennsylvania region enjoy visiting the Philadelphia Flower Show. First we inhale the fragrance of the flowers before we even see the brilliant colors and designs of the floral displays. It refreshes and inspires us.

This was the same feeling that visitors to the exhibition at the Chester County Horticultural Society felt as they entered Horticultural Hall in September of 1850. The hall was brimming with the fall harvest of fruits and vegetables, displays of flowers and artistic crafts of all kinds. The centerpiece of the exhibition was a fountain, which magically suspended a glass ball in a jet of sparkling water. Surrounding it were large vases of flowers, which the report noted were illuminated by the rays of brilliant sun.

This was a perfect opportunity for daguerreotypist Thomas Van Osten to show West Chester just how expert he was at his art. The exhibition report noted: “All these, by the wonderful art of Daguerre, were imprinted upon the plate, by Mr. Van Osten.” No wonder his display of daguerreotypes at the exhibition took first place.

How big a feat was his daguerreotype? Granted he was out of his studio situation where he had the benefit of reflectors to balance the light. What he did have were the large windows which were on both sides of Horticultural Hall and can be seen in the accompanying photograph.

Horticultural Hall had been built in 1848, designed by architect Thomas U. Walter, best known for his design of the U.S. Capitol dome in Washington, D.C.. Over the years Walter designed eight buildings to give West Chester its distinctive character. The Horticultural Hall was very different from the others with its Norman arch design and façade made of blue serpentine stone quarried from Taylor’s Quarry north of town.

The tall windows on either side gave a bright lighting situation with their north-south orientation. Still, the exposure would have been a number of minutes, depending on how “quick” his sensitizing formula was. Each daguerreotypist had his or her own favorite mixture. The resulting plate captured the fountain with its suspended ball, the long exposure smoothing the flow of water into a solid form.

So what happened to this fascinating image? We do not know if it was given or sold to a Horticultural Society official or kept by Van Osten as an award-winning example of his work. Someone somewhere may be wondering what this daguerreotype of a fountain surrounded by flowers is all about. If it is you, please let us know if you can share the image with Chester County Photographist.

Read more about Thomas Van Osten here