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June 25, 2021–February 6, 2022
Credit information: “Two Girls” by Jeremiah Gurney, quarter-plate daguerreotype with applied color, c. 1852. Collection of Wm. B. Becker.
In 1840, Jeremiah Gurney (1812–1895) abandoned his career as a jeweler to establish one of New York City’s first daguerreotype studios. Despite vigorous competition from rivals, such as Mathew Brady, Gurney soon developed his reputation as a leading camera artist, whose works were “nearer to absolute perfection” than those of other daguerreotypists. Widely admired for the beautiful, hand-tinted images produced in his studio, Gurney continued to make daguerreotypes until the close of the 1850s, when he fully transitioned his practice to paper print photography. “Warranted to Give Satisfaction” will feature a selection of daguerreotype portraits by Gurney from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection alongside works from several private collections. This exhibition is curated by Senior Curator of Photographs Ann Shumard.
