About This Image

Signed and dated in ink on the verso with the artist's label. In painted glass mounts that are secured in handmade paper holders. Size refers to the image itself.

Immaculately composed modern daguerreotype by Canadian artist Mike Robinson, presenting a trio of antique cameras arranged in close formation, their polished brass lenses directed outward with quiet authority. Behind them, a large numerical calibration wheel adds geometric drama, while a patterned fabric and subtle potted plant further contextualize the studio environment. The reflective clarity and tonal richness speak to Robinson’s masterful command of the Daguerreian process, here applied to a subject that honors photography’s own historical tools.

One of the half-plate cameras was built by Robinson in 2002. The half-plate Palmer and Longking camera was bought at the 2013 Daguerreian Society auction, and the quarter-plate Palmer and Longking camera was purchased from the Harvey Zucker Estate in about 2015 or 2016, which Mike subsequently donated to the Daguerreian Society's auction in Kansas City.

Mike Robinson's Century Darkroom in Toronto has gained a reputation in several alternative photographic processes. Robinson's work in the daguerreotype combines a classical sense of beauty with the high level of technical skill required for success in this difficult photographic medium. His unique contribution to the modern daguerreotype has gained increasing recognition, and a series of Mike's daguerreotypes were recently commissioned for the holdings of the Hallmark Photographic Collection.

He often houses his images in modern handcrafted cases and passé-partout mounts that resemble the older cases from France and the United States. This combination of old and new approaches is one of the things that distinguish Mike's work.

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