Post exposure the daguerreotype is susceptible to latent image fading, so this means it must be developed as soon as possible. So a static darkroom means the world has to come to you in terms of portraits and the choice of landscapes are limited. Hence my latest project to take my daguerreotypy mobile.
In designing a portable darkroom I wanted the workspace to be totally separate from a vehicle interior, as when I’m otherwise using the vehicle I don’t want to haul chemicals and equipment around. Daguerreotypes tend to be small in format and space inside the darkroom can be fairly minimal, so I opted to have a trailer of a modest height which can be stored in the garage.
The project till this week has involved buying a short wheel base truck to tow the small trailer which I have also purchased. A digital inverter generator will power the 150mm centrifugal fan I have for the fume hood. two skylights in the ceiling, one a permanent safelight, the other is for natural light when working on plate polishing.
Over the next couple of weeks I will posting about the construction of the trailer enclosure which I have commissioned but so far have only envisaged in google sketch-up:
