Daguerreotype Magnification
The silver of the daguerreotype plate is exposed to fumes of halogens, iodine, bromine, and/or chlorine resulting in a light sensitive surface. During exposure in camera a latent image is formed which is brought out, or “developed,” over mercury fumes. The image is composed of a silver-mercury amalgam. After gilding in gold chloride a fine layer of gold is deposited over the surface of the plate. The image particles are extremely small nanoparticles. It is a direct positive process, therefore the image particles are in the highlights rather than the shadows. Daguerreotypes also often have color applied to the image. The color may be very subtle or faded.
With 10x magnification the image appears continuous in tone.
With 30x magnification the image may appear continuous in tone. The image particles are very fine and difficult to see with low magnification. The image particles are in the highlights.
With 50x magnification the image conglomerates may be visible. Daguerreotypes have a very fine image structure and the image particles are in the highlights.
With specular light and 50x magnification the image conglomerates are more clearly visible. The image appears as a negative.
Daguerreotypes are on a silver plated copper plate. The image rests on the surface of the plate.
This cross section is taken from the edge of a daguerreotype plate. The silver layer appears thicker than it actually is. Pure silver is very soft. The effect seen here is possibly an artifact of the plate having been cut from a larger plate when the object was made which could have pushed the soft silver layer down along the edge of the copper layer.