In 1839 when the French government
established a lifelong pension for Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre (French,
1787-1851), the inventor presented his new photographic process free of
restrictions or fees to the world. Daguerre's manual of instruction was
translated into every major language and went through twenty-one editions in
two years. The daguerreotype received instant success, and its lustrous,
silvery tones and grainless image eclipsed all other processes in quality and
presentation, including Talbot's calotype, which had been introduced at the
same time. The daguerreotype prevailed until the introduction of the collodion
process in 1851.

Most importantly, the daguerreotype revolutionized
the concept of portraiture. While by no means inexpensive, the daguerreotype
was vastly more accessible economically to a broader public than had been the painted
portrait. A variety of sizes was available, but the most popular were the 1/4
plate and 1/6 plate because they were much cheaper and required shorter
exposures than the standard whole plate size, which measured 6 1/2 x 8 1/2
inches.