JOHN A. WHIPPLE (1822-1891) National Congregational Council at Plymouth Rock. Albumen print, the image measuring 14 5/8x18 7/8 inches (37.1x47.9 cm.), the mount 17 3/4x22 inches (45.1x55.9 cm.), with Whipple's printed credit, the caption, and date on mount recto. 1865
Provenance: Swann Galleries, sale 1954, lot 374, December 5, 2002
Whipple was a scientist and inventor, one of the first suppliers of chemicals to American daguerreotypists and an innovative member of the first generation of picture-makers. He pioneered astronomical and night photography, including stunning images of the moon, and experimenting and inventing new methods of making and printing images. Whipple ran a daguerreotype studio in Boston, and also photographed buildings in the Boston area, partnering with fellow Boston photographer James Wallace Black, also represented in this sale. Together they developed a process of making paper prints from glass negatives.
