Daguerreotype Photographs the Old Fashioned Way

Step 7 Drying and Finishing

Dry the daguerreotype using a high-volume hair dryer. Don't use the kind of hairdryer that spreads out the stream of air, use the kind that's like a jet turbine. Remove the daguerreotype from the water bath and hold it in your palm as vertically as you can without dropping it. Aim the hairdryer as close to the image as possible starting in a top corner. Once you see the image start to become dry in that corner, push the remaining water down with the force of air towards the opposite bottom corner. This will give you the minimum of water spots.

Again, I can't stress enough that the image is extremely fragile. Dust, water, spittle from your exclmations about how wonderful you are, and lots of other stuff can ruin the image. Put it behind glass.

The easiest method would be to get a frame shop to cut you a black mat and a piece of glass beforehand. Feel free to explore framing options here but whatever you do, don't touch the surface of the plate or attempt to clean it in any way. Only remove dust by using a dry-air blower, never your own breath. If you don't believe me, check out this video!