DEETERS, M. G. Einladung zur öffentlichen Prüfung und feierlichen Entlassung im hiesigen Gymnasium am 21. und 27. Junius zu den öffentlichen Prüfungen in der zweiten Kreis- oder Handelsschule am 28. und in der russischen Kreisschule am 30. Junius. Vorrausgeschickt ist eine Abhandlung: Ueber das Daguerreotypieren. Riga, Wilhem Ferdinand Häcker, 1847.
4to. Unbound, as issued, backstrip; pp. [ii], 14, title with small cut-out portion and a little spotted, otherwise good; provenance: contemporary stamp of Riga Municipal Real-Bürgerschule (i.e. the publishing institution).
Extremely rare first edition of this early treatise on taking photos by applying Dauguerre's method, written and given as a public lecture at Riga schools for higher education in the Russian Empire. Deeters opens with a short pre-history of photography from Della Porta to Niépce, touches upon colour theory and the theory of light, before explaining Daguerre's photochemical process in detail, including slightly later improvements of both the chemistry, as well as the cameras, especially achieved by Austrian engineers, scientists and inventors. The Munich artists and photographers Kobell and Steinheil get mentions, as well as Talbot's calotypes, and the watchmaker Breguet's invention of 'printing' his name inside the watches. - This essay was published as a lecture accompanying the public examinations of two Riga schools and can not be located in any library or collection; however, ZDB states that there appeared single issues annually from 1827 to 1847.
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