Biography:
John Adams Whipple was born on September 10th, 1822 in Grafton, Massachusetts. He studied chemistry, and made major strides into the daguerreotype process. This particular photo was made in 1851.
Significance:
Whipple was well known for his teamwork with the director of the Harvard College Observatory, William Cranch Bond. They teamed up and used Harvard's telescope to take highly detailed photographs of the moon. The pictures are extremely striking, and were a major accomplishment in photography at the time. Whipple was also the first photographer to shoot a successful picture of a star (other than the sun).
Techniques:
Whipple was the first American to create the chemicals needed for processing daguerreotype images. He pioneered their use in shooting celestial beings, and also made progress in night photography.
Motivations:
Whipple turned to photography after he turned ill. It was a step away from his passion for chemistry, but he worked that into his pictures. He and his partner, James Wallace Black, developed crystallotypes. Whipple also invented crayon daguerreotype.
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