CRAYON PHOTOGRAPHS

The crayon photograph was so named because the edges of the central image, usually a head or head and shoulders portrait, faded away until they merged with the paper on which they were printed, in much the same way as an artist of the day drew portraits in crayon. The crayon photograph is not to be confused with a photograph coloured by crayon.

* CRAYON originate with dags?

Because the daguerreotype was an image that was made directly on a silver-coated plate and could not be altered after the exposure was made, the ‘crayon’ effect had to be produced while the portrait was being taken. In 1849 an American photographer, John Whipple, invented a method which he called ‘Crayon Portraiture.’ An opaque screen with a hole in the centre was held between the camera and the sitter and moved both horizontally and vertically while the picture was being formed in the camera, usually a period of from ten to thirty seconds. The screen obscured the area surrounding the sitter and the movement produced a gentle blurring effect at the edges. In 1853 an American photographer living in London, J.E. Mayall, patented a clockwork driven revolving disk which had a central star-shaped aperture. Placed between the camera and the sitter it produced the same effect and was known as Mayall’s Wheel.

Crayon photographs were advertised by ‘Mr Duryea’ soon after he opened his studio in Adelaide in February 1855, and in July he produced ‘two splendid portraits in the "Crayon" style of Daguerreotype, one of Madame Carandini and the other of M. Coulon, the celebrated vocalists who are now visiting this city. For fidelity and beauty of finish they can scarcely be equalled, and, as conveying most truthfully the expression of the fair prima donna and the able and successful basso are well worthy of inspection.’

When Townsend Duryea (q.v.) advertised his ‘improved crayon photographs’ in 1859 he upset his Adelaide rival, Professor Hall. In July the Register reported: ‘We have been favoured with an opportunity of inspecting some specimens of photography, produced by Mr Duryea in a style which he claims as a new discovery in that art, and designates ‘crayon photography.’ Mr Duryea has devoted some months to experiments, with a view to attain an effect heretofore wanting in photographic portraits; and the result is the process which he now introduces. By chemical means alone, and without colours, he secures by this process a depth of shade in the centre of the picture which throws out the portrait in very strong relief, as well as a gradual gradation of shade towards the edges of the picture, which removes the awkward stiffness resulting from the sudden boundary-line formed by the outline of the paper, or the frame in which it is encircled. The specimens we have seen are very effective samples of the art, and the new style will, without a doubt, become extremely popular.’

In a letter to the editor of the Advertiser Professor Hall wrote: ‘Sir, I was much amused this morning by reading a local in the Register stating that Mr Duryea, after devoting some months to experiments, had discovered a new art in photography, calling it ‘crayon photography’. Allow me to state that this is no new art in the process. When I was last in England, in 1852, a Mr Mayall had taken out a patent for a revolving wheel for the process above described, now called ‘crayon photography’. I have myself for the last five years been working the same process; and a gentleman amateur, Captain Biggs, to my knowledge has worked the same process for four years. In fact, I think it a pity a person should have devoted months to find out a process which he could have known for the small amount of threepence, by purchasing a number of the Photographic Journal, published in 1853, he would have there learned the process in five minutes. It also states that it is done by ‘chemical means alone’. Whoever heard of photographs being produced by any other means? Also, ‘without color’. All photographs are produced without color. To this new process I must say, as our natives in former days said to anything they did not believe, "plenty gammon, white fellow."

Duryea penned a reply which the Advertiser refused to print but which was accepted by the Register. ‘Sir, In answer to a letter which appeared in the Advertiser … signed ‘Professor Hall’, I beg to state that in taking advantage of the omission of the word "improved" before "crayon photography," in the notice which appeared in the Register, the Professor has displayed an unusual want of common sense, and made himself appear as a drowning man that would grasp at a floating straw. The Professor states that this is no new process, and brings forward Mayall's patent wheel as an illustration; thus proving his ignorance and prejudice in the matter, as the portraits in question are not produced by any such means; and I beg to state the wheel the Professor alludes to as being patented by Mayall in 1852 I used effectually in 1842 – thus proving the Professor has quite committed himself, rendering any further communication on the matter perfectly needless. As to plenty gammon, the public can convince themselves by calling at my gallery to inspect the pictures, as an ocular demonstration will be the best proof. (signed) T. Duryea.’ Duryea showed four crayon photographs at the 1859 exhibition of the South Australian Society of Arts.

As Duryea’s crayon photographs were on paper and produced ‘by chemical means alone’ he may have bleached the edges of his portraits with chemicals to produce the effect. If this was so it may have been suitable for his larger more expensive portraits, but would not have been a practical proposition for use on a dozen cartes de visite.

Later, the same effect was produced by different means and the finished photograph was known as a vignette (q.v.)

End.