Carleton Watkins Valparaíso 1850--New Directions

Background summary: Robert Vance arrived in Chile in the South American summer of 1847. Between 1847 and 1849 Vance offered his services as a daguerreian portraitist in a variety of Chilean cities including Valparaíso, Santiago, Copiapó and Concepción (See Chapters Seven and Eight). There is no evidence that Vance made daguerreotype views of the landscape, monuments or architecture he encountered during these travels,[11] nor is there evidence that he made daguerreotype views during almost a year of travel in northern Chile, Bolivia and Peru in 1849-1850.[12] Given the established pattern it seems unlikely that Vance was the maker of the three now lost Valparaíso views listed above that were in his possession in October, 1851. No outdoor daguerreotype views are known to have been made in Valparaíso, or anywhere else in Chile before mid-1850. Carleton is believed to have operated Vance’s cameras in Valparaíso from mid-1849 to mid-1850 (see Chapter 7).

Table II

Daguerreotypes and Engravings Made in Valparaíso

Associated with William George Helsby

A. Credited to William Helsby. October 29, 1851 dated by engraving [Fig. 2].

B. Attributed to William Helsby. Whole plate daguerreotype, 1852. [Fig. 3] .

C. Lithograph after daguerreotypes credited to William Helsby as agent, but now attributed to Carleton Watkins as maker. [Fig. 4].

D. Credited to William Helsby. Site of Proposed Railroad between Valparaíso and Santiago, 1852. Engraving from now lost daguerreotype [Fig. 5].

E. Collection of twenty-five daguerreotypes of scenes in Chile carried back to England by William Helsby in 1858. Exhibited at the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, England, 1860[13]. Daguerreotypes now lost.

Background summary: Several members of the large Helsby family, whose origins were in Liverpool, UK, were involved with photography in Latin America, first in Mexico, then Montevideo in the mid-1840s, then by 1848, in Valparaíso.[14] In March 1849, William Helsby announced in Valparaíso the relocation of his daguerreian portrait studio to calle de la Aduana no. 111, next door to the daguerreian rooms of Vance y Cia. at calle de la Aduana, no. 113. Helsby advertised himself as “retratista al daguerreotipo” and like Robert Vance was tethered to portraiture as the nearly exclusive source of income from

[12] The 1851 list records one view of a place Vance visited during the 1849-1850 travels, no. 108, “View of the Cathedral,Cuzco, Peru.”

[13] Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Chesire, vol XII, Session 1859-60.

[14] Alejandro de la Fuente, unpublished research, “Inicio de William George Helsby en la fotografía,” 2014, with thanks.