Micro XRF Imaging of Daguerreotypes

century. The process involved polishing a silver coated copper plate, made photo sensitive by exposure to halogens, then exposed to light, and finally coated with gold. This complex, intricate process has yielded some of the most iconic images of the 19 th century. Unfortunately, in some instances plate interaction with storage materials have yielded objects ranging from pristine to disfigured. While damage is often apparent from visual inspection, the precise method of deterioration—and thus the elucidation of methods of restoration, if desirable—is sometimes, but not always apparent.