Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The daguerreotype is the first publicly available photographic process, creating a single, unique image on a silver-coated plate and giving us a glimpse at such historic figures as Abraham Lincoln and even John Quincy Adams. But they're extremely fragile, with air and moisture threatening to erase these images forever. At the National Portrait Gallery, photographs conservator Christina Finlayson walks Adam Savage through the delicate and precise process of preserving daguerreotypes for posterity.
National Portrait Gallery: https://npg.si.edu/
Thomas Ustick Walter portrait:: https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.91.62
John Quincy Adams portrait: https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2017.110
What UV Light Revealed in This 200-Year-Old Painting: youtu.be/0sY2rGTwnNQ
Follow on Instagram: instagram.com/smithsoniannpg/?hl=en
Shot and edited by Josh Self
Music by Jinglepunks
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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!
#photography #adamsavage #museum
The daguerreotype is the first publicly available photographic process, creating a single, unique image on a silver-coated plate and giving us a glimpse at such historic figures as Abraham Lincoln and even John Quincy Adams. But they're extremely fragile, with air and moisture threatening to erase these images forever. At the National Portrait Gallery, photographs conservator Christina Finlayson walks Adam Savage through the delicate and precise process of preserving daguerreotypes for posterity.
National Portrait Gallery: https://npg.si.edu/
Thomas Ustick Walter portrait:: https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.91.62
John Quincy Adams portrait: https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2017.110
What UV Light Revealed in This 200-Year-Old Painting: youtu.be/0sY2rGTwnNQ
Follow on Instagram: instagram.com/smithsoniannpg/?hl=en
Shot and edited by Josh Self
Music by Jinglepunks
Subscribe for more videos (and click the bell for notifications): youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=testedcom
Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCiDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOA/join
Tested and Adam Savage Ts, stickers, (de) merit badges and more: adamsavage.com
About Tested: tested.com/about
Meet Adam in Person: tested.com/events
Instagram: instagram.com/testedcom
Facebook: facebook.com/testedcom
TikTok: tiktok.com/@testedcom
Discord: discord.gg/tested
Amazon Storefront: amazon.com/shop/adamsavagestested
Audio Described and Accessible Videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJtitKU0CAeiQLgj4PZ9onSW6YXIz5ADR
Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!
#photography #adamsavage #museum
