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Captain
Daniel Messinger
Assistant Quarter master of Volunteers.
Not much else is known about him.
There is more on the photographer then the Captain.
Backmark is:
J. W. Black
173 Washington St.
Boston, Mass.
(See Below)
Information from,
U.S. Military Institute
Craig's
Daguerreian Registry
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James
Wallace Black
(1825-1896) Born in Francestown, N.H., he apparently
learned the daguerreian process from John H. Lerow, c.
1845.
He operated as an itinerant daguerreian in various
Massachusetts towns before returning to Boston to work
for L.H. Hale for a time. At Hale's gallery Black worked
as a plate buffer; it was probably in 1845, at the time
Henry Rulofson and Benjamin French were also associated
with the firm. Black later worked for L.M. Ives, and in
1850 or 1851 went to work for J.A. Whipple at 96
Washington Street. In 1856 the two formed a
partnership which lasted until 1859. From 1853 to 1855
Black was listed in the Boston directories alone at
the 96 Washington Street address, and in January, 1854
was noted at Marcus Root's New York gallery teaching the
new crystalotype process.
Later in 1854 Black traveled to New Hampshire, taking
scenic views with the new salted paper process. The
crystalotype process had been patented in 1850 by Whipple
and William B. Jones. In 1856, Black hired John L.
Dunmore to work at the gallery; Dunmore was a long-time
friend of Black's, and reported to have been his
brother-in-law, but this is unsubstantiated.
In 1857, Dunmore moved to Cambridge, and lived with Black
at his home. In the fall of 1859, the Black and Whipple
partnership ended, and Black established his own gallery
at 173 Washington Street, purchasing the
gallery of J. B. Heywood.
Black apparently taught the photographic process to his
father-in-law, William Sharp, who was a painter and
lithographer. Sharp listed himself as a photographer in
Boston in 1858. In 1860 Black formed a partnership with
P.M. Batchelder, which lasted a year; in the same year
Black hired Philip T. Sharp, his brother-in-law, to
work at the gallery.
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