The alchemists became so intent on discovering the far-famed philosopher's stone that they were unmindful of the accidental occurrence of more valuable discoveries. If they had not, then this little experiment in chemistry might have induced them to conduct a more thorough search into the principle. In that case, photogenic art would not now be claimed as a new discovery.
Many individuals even assert that the Jugglers of @India possessed a great secret for quite some time, a secret by which they were enabled, in a brief space, to copy the likeness of any individual by the action of light. This fact, if it is truly fact and not a myth, may account for the celebrated magic mirrors said to be possessed by these jugglers, and it was the probable cause of their power over the rest of the people.
However, as early as 1556 experimenters established, as fact, that a combination of chloride and silver, called horn silver, from its appearance, could become blackened by the sun's rays. Then, in the latter part of the last century, a Mrs. @Fulhame published an experiment by she effected a change in color of gold chloride, also by means of light. She concluded that, in her opinion, words might be someday be written in this way. These incidents are considered as the first steps towards the discovery of the photogenic art.
Mr. Wedgwood's experiments can scarcely be said to be any improvement on either of these instances, since he failed to bring them to practical usefulness; his countrymen will have to be satisfied with awarding the honor of its complete adaptation for practical purposes, to @MM. @Niepce and @Daguerre of @France and to @Professors @Draper and @Morse of New @York.
MM. Niepce and Daguerre pursued the subject simultaneously, without either, however, being aware of the experiments of his colleague in science. When after several years a chance circumstance made them acquainted, though, they entered into co-partnership, and conjointly they brought the art almost to perfection.
