Sculptural Relief of Victory from the Temple of Victory, the Acropolis, Athens

Daguerréotype ; 18.8 x 12.2 cm.

The daguerreotype method of the photographic process was invented by Louis Daguerre in the 1830s. It was the first photographic process and it was widely used in the mid-19th century. The process involves exposing a silver-coated copper plate to light in a camera, which then creates an inverted, highly detailed image on the plate. The plate is then treated with chemicals to make the image visible and fixed in place.