Gustav Karsten, Die Stifter der Physikalischen Gesellschaft z ...
Gustav Karsten
Berlin 1820 - 1900 Kiel
Die Stifter der Physikalischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin
14 June 1845
Daguerreotype. 8.9 x 7.6 cm (mat opening), 13.7 x 12 cm (total dimension). Mounted under original mat. - Slight oxidation along the mat opening. Newly framed under glass. Provenance
Estate of Heinrich Wilhelm Heintz
Accompanied by an autograph by Marie du Bois-Reymond, the daughter-in-law of the founding member Emil du Bois-Reymond, in which she explains in detail the origins of the recording.
The daguerreotype from 1845 shown here not only represents an interesting as well as charming exhibit from the early days of this medium, but also an important piece of German scientific history.
The photographer who took this picture is Gustav Karsten (1820 - 1900), physicist and mineralogist, who portrayed the six founder members of the 'Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin' in June 1845, approximately six months after its founding. These six members were (f.l.t.r.): the physician and physiologist Ernst Wilhelm Brücke, the physicist Wilhelm von Beetz, the chemical scientist Heinrich Wilhelm Heintz, the physiologist Emil du Bois-Reymond, the physicist Karl-Hermann Knoblauch and Gustav Karsten himself.
As a physicist, Karsten most probably found it easy to familiarise himself with the then still young process of the daguerreotype. The fact that he took this photograph is evident from the autograph attached to the daguerreotype. Dated 2 September 1906, Marie du Bois-Reymond, one of the daughters-in-law of the founding member Emil du Bois-Reymond, therein describes the context in which the picture was created and that it was taken by 'one of the sitters, Dr. G. Karsten himself, on 14 June 1845 in the garden of the house 39 Kronenstraße. The long exposure time for such daguerreotypes allowed Mr Karsten to quickly take his place in the group after opening the shutter and to leave it again shortly before closing the shutter. The picture shows how he monitors the exposure with his watch in his hand.'
A poem written by Marie's husband Claude, son of the founding father Emil du Bois-Reymond, on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin in 1896, which the author quotes in her letter to an anonymous addressee, describes further details very vividly:
'Look at Berlin in the street of crowns (Kronenstraße), Where a
Doctor Karsten is said to reside.
The sun shines on a bower of vines,
In front, a small group of people convenes.
It practices physics and experiments - In the magic mirror, it's
photographed.
Today you see the founding year:
Who knows these young people that you see here!'
The use of the term 'magic mirror' speaks of the obvious fascination that emanated from photography at that time, since the presentation of the Daguerrean photographic process by Francois Arago to the members of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, which today is regarded as the official 'birth' of photography, was only six years prior to the founding year of the 'Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin'.
The existence of the photograph indicates that the young scientists - they were hardly older than twenty-five at the time - were aware of the historical significance of the founding of their association, and in fact it soon gained national and international renown, for example through the publication of the professional journal 'Fortschritte der Physik' (Progress in Physics). Founded as a local association, the 'Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft' emerged from it in 1899.
A variant of our group portrait, which was created at the same time and frequently published, is considered lost; another group portrait, also created on 14 June 1845, is now in private ownership in Berlin.
We would like to thank Ralf Hahn, archivist of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, Berlin, for helpful information.
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Gustav Karsten
Berlin 1820 - 1900 Kiel
Die Stifter der Physikalischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin
14 June 1845
Daguerreotype. 8.9 x 7.6 cm (mat opening), 13.7 x 12 cm (total dimension). Mounted under original mat. - Slight oxidation along the mat opening. Newly framed under glass. Provenance
Estate of Heinrich Wilhelm Heintz
Accompanied by an autograph by Marie du Bois-Reymond, the daughter-in-law of the founding member Emil du Bois-Reymond, in which she explains in detail the origins of the recording.
The daguerreotype from 1845 shown here not only represents an interesting as well as charming exhibit from the early days of this medium, but also an important piece of German scientific history.
The photographer who took this picture is Gustav Karsten (1820 - 1900), physicist and mineralogist, who portrayed the six founder members of the 'Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin' in June 1845, approximately six months after its founding. These six members were (f.l.t.r.): the physician and physiologist Ernst Wilhelm Brücke, the physicist Wilhelm von Beetz, the chemical scientist Heinrich Wilhelm Heintz, the physiologist Emil du Bois-Reymond, the physicist Karl-Hermann Knoblauch and Gustav Karsten himself.
As a physicist, Karsten most probably found it easy to familiarise himself with the then still young process of the daguerreotype. The fact that he took this photograph is evident from the autograph attached to the daguerreotype. Dated 2 September 1906, Marie du Bois-Reymond, one of the daughters-in-law of the founding member Emil du Bois-Reymond, therein describes the context in which the picture was created and that it was taken by 'one of the sitters, Dr. G. Karsten himself, on 14 June 1845 in the garden of the house 39 Kronenstraße. The long exposure time for such daguerreotypes allowed Mr Karsten to quickly take his place in the group after opening the shutter and to leave it again shortly before closing the shutter. The picture shows how he monitors the exposure with his watch in his hand.'
A poem written by Marie's husband Claude, son of the founding father Emil du Bois-Reymond, on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin in 1896, which the author quotes in her letter to an anonymous addressee, describes further details very vividly:
'Look at Berlin in the street of crowns (Kronenstraße), Where a
Doctor Karsten is said to reside.
The sun shines on a bower of vines,
In front, a small group of people convenes.
It practices physics and experiments - In the magic mirror, it's
photographed.
Today you see the founding year:
Who knows these young people that you see here!'
The use of the term 'magic mirror' speaks of the obvious fascination that emanated from photography at that time, since the presentation of the Daguerrean photographic process by Francois Arago to the members of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, which today is regarded as the official 'birth' of photography, was only six years prior to the founding year of the 'Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin'.
The existence of the photograph indicates that the young scientists - they were hardly older than twenty-five at the time - were aware of the historical significance of the founding of their association, and in fact it soon gained national and international renown, for example through the publication of the professional journal 'Fortschritte der Physik' (Progress in Physics). Founded as a local association, the 'Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft' emerged from it in 1899.
A variant of our group portrait, which was created at the same time and frequently published, is considered lost; another group portrait, also created on 14 June 1845, is now in private ownership in Berlin.
We would like to thank Ralf Hahn, archivist of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, Berlin, for helpful information.
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