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Barnard, George N.
American (1819-1902)

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: Fire in the Ames Mills, Oswego, New York

1853
daguerreotype with applied color
7.0 x 8.3 cm., 1/6 plate
Museum Purchase; ex-collection James Cady
GEH NEG: 5815
79:3107:0002

OLD GEH NUMBER: 8204

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES:
Newhall, Beaumont. --The Daguerreotype in America.-- Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1968. pl. 27.//
Rudisill, Richard. --Mirror Image: The Influence of the Daguerreotype on American Society.-- Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1971. pl. 48.//
Sobieszek, Robert A. --Masterpieces of Photography from the George Eastman House Collections.-- New York: Abbeville Press, 1985. p. 49.//
Davis, Keith F. --George N. Barnard, Photographer of Sherman's Campaign.-- Kansas City, MO: Hallmark Cards, Inc., 1990. fig. 6.//
Frizot, Michel. --A New History of Photography.-- Cologne: Könemann, 1998. p. 50.//

EXHIBITION HISTORY:
"Images of Excellence", US, NY, Rochester, GEH - Brackett Clark Gallery, January 1 - April 26, 1987. (Traveled).//
"Photography in Nineteenth Century America", US, TX, Fort Worth, Amon Carter Museum, October 26, 1991 - January 5, 1992. (Traveled).//
"Reflections in a Glass Eye: Works from the International Center of Photography", US, NY, New York November 3, 2000 - March 18, 2001.//

INSCRIPTION: mat recto-(embossed stamp) "Barnard Oswego" verso-(on backing) "Fire at Ame's Mill, Oswego"

NOTES: Cataloged 11/83, DZ, updated 3/85, RAS. "On the morning of July 5, 1853, a devastating fire broke out on the east side of the Oswego River. ... Barnard took his camera outside to make at least two views of this terrifying spectacle. The first photograph, taken shortly after the fire was discovered, was made from the head of West Cayuga Street one block east of Barnard's new studio, looking southeast across the river toward the Ames and Doolittle mills. The small plates in the Eastman House collection are reduced copy daguerreotypes made for public sale from Barnard's larger originals. Since they are 'mirror images' of the original, laterally reversed daguerreotypes, these smaller plates read correctly. The daguerreotype of the Ames and Doolittle mills is delicately hand-colored, with crimson pigment added to the flaming buildings." [Keith Davis, --George N. Barnard,-- 1990, p. 28-29]

SUBJECT: event, fire / Ames Mill

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